Lancashire hotpot, fisherman’s pie, Jane Grigson’s shepherd’s pie: few foods comfort like an old-school potato dish. Luxuriate in these: Rory O’Connell’s roasties, Jeremy Lee’s proper chips and Simon Hopkinson’s sublime saffron mash. Brilliant winter warmers for January days. A little further afield we present Meera Sodha’s saag aloo, Giorgio Locatelli’s gnocchi and Fuchsia Dunlop’s potato slivers with chilli and Sichuan pepper. Potatoes have the ability to heal, I think, whether they’re the Quality Chop House’s signature confit or in Anja Dunk’s heartbreak soup. It uniquely nourishes us, the humble spud, never more than here in our 20 best potato recipes.
If you season the dish well, if you mash the potatoes especially for it, shepherd’s pie can be well worth eating.
So familiar, so seemingly simple, and when good they put a smile on a face as big as can be.
A tortilla welcomes anything, so be adventurous with what you add: peppers, asparagus, leftover roast vegetables.
A simple dish with familiar ingredients, the potatoes come out with a crispy bottom and a soft top.
This legendary dish is something of a labour of love – but it’s worth it.
Delicious warm, even better at room temperature. If you can find jersey royals, they are ideal.
An easy yet fulfilling dish to make, using just one pot.
Cooked to achieve a golden brown crisp skin with a fluffy, floury interior. Bliss.
If you are going to serve these potatoes with fish, then it is nice to cook them in fish stock.
Aside from its obvious gustatory charm, the real joy of a fish pie is that you can prepare it well in advance.
One of the most famous of Jewish foods, and can be marvellous if properly prepared, just before eating.
Spuds and black pudding is the perfect Irish pairing, and out-trends avocado on toast any day.
This dish uses a classic Gujarati spicing of cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli.
Elegant and silky, these little clouds of flavour will dissolve in your mouth.
Fried potato and cheese cakes, served with a peanut sauce and coriander and chopped tomato salsa.
Layer ‘almost’ transparent slices of potato with grated comté cheese, and make a side dish into a main course.
Warming, comforting and nourishing. Make extra dumplings to enjoy the next day with hot sage butter.
In Sichuanese cuisine, this is the most common method of cooking potatoes, where they remain a little crunchy.
Push a piece of the truffle butter on top of the potato, finish with parmesan and pop under the grill to melt.
It is no coincidence of course that bowl-food is comfort food, and this soup has great healing powers.
