There is no doubt about it New Zealanders are avid potato-lovers. Kiwi Chefs know that by including potato dishes on their menu, means happy customers. Chef Simon Green, from The Sebel Trinity Wharf in Tauranga took a few moments out of his busy schedule to share his favourite potato recipe and stories with us.

After 25 years working as a Chef, Simon has been Executive Chef at The Halo Restaurant at The Sebel Trinity Wharf in Tauranga for the last 18 months. His fondest potato memories were as a little boy enjoying Potato, ham and cheese croquettes hand made by his mum. Despite being a well-acclaimed Chef, he is still your typical kiwi, and loves to eat Fish and Chips from paper on Mount Maunganui Beach while watching the sun go down.

We agree with Simon that it is potatoes versatility that makes them so great. “They can be cooked virtually any way, and with so many different varieties.” Says Simon. He knows how important they are to have on a menu, due to being the most versatile of all the starch/carbohydrate ingredients. The Gratin Dauphinois is the most popular potato dish served at The Halo Restaurant, and is served with the Eye and Scotch Fillet Steaks. This specialty dish comes from the Dauphine region of France and consists of thinly sliced potatoes layered in a baking dish with cream/milk and a flavoursome cheese.

Simon has kindly shared the recipe for this delicious Potato Rosti which features on his Halo menu and in the image below. But he also has a handy-tip to share with us about preparing potatoes at home in the kitchen. “Thicken soups with diced potato not flour to keep them light and keep the flavour”.

We know that spuds are satisfying, value for money and full of nutrients, they even get the tick of approval from professionals! So no matter who you are and where you cook there is always a place for potatoes on your plate!

The term ‘Fat free’ has been beaten to death in the food industry. But unlike most foods that claim to be ‘95% fat free’ – (another way for saying they contain 5% fat). Potatoes only have 0.1-0.2% fat, which is virtually nothing. Earning themselves a ‘Fat free’ label. However it all depends on the cooking technique. Deep frying potatoes adds a lot of fat and once cooked, some potato chips can contain up to 20 grams of fat per serve.

But if you just can’t resist the taste of a good chip, then look for chunkier cuts or potato wedges with the skin on. These soak up less fat than shoe-string or crinkle-cut chips and by keeping the skin on they retain all their good nutrients. Some pre-made chip brands are better than others and can be relatively low in fat with only 3-5%, even lower when oven-baked instead of fried.

Straight from the paddock a potato is just about free of fat, so the idea is to choose a cooking method that keeps the fat content low. Baking is a good option. Spray the potatoes with only a little oil and you can get that same crunchy result as you would if frying. Also try to choose recipes that don’t add excess fat and where possible substitute full fat ingredients with lower fat options such as low fat sour cream or using milk instead of cream. Try these yummy Lime and Chilli Wedges with Lamb Koftas a go. For a meal that is lower in fat and tastier than the fish and chips from your typical takeaway store.

June is well under way and the wintery wind is biting. It is the season of hibernation for many creatures, so it makes sense that all you might want to do is wrap up in a blanket and stay inside with a satisfying and wholesome meal. This is what comfort food is. And potatoes make the best comfort food. (more…)