Potato – Let's Cook Together

Tourtière (the real one!)

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:48:10 +0000

I really enjoy serving a tourtière when guests are coming for dinner because you can prepare it in advance and it lets off a great aroma for when the guests arrive.

In my family, I remember my parents eating tourtière with home made pickled green tomatoes (green ketchup). Personally, I prefer the good old red ketchup with the bottle on the table, without any ceremony!

Ingredients:

500 gr beef cut in very small cubes or grounded
500 gr pork cut in very small cubes or grounded
500 gr veal cut in very small cubes or grounded
30 ml salt
3 large onions, chopped
250 ml milk
350 ml chicken bouillon (roughly)
Potatoes cut in small cubes (maximum 1 cm), a quantity equal to the meat volume.
Pie crust dough(use the recipe for the tourtière one)
One egg, beaten

Method:

About 24 hours before cooking the tourtière, blend all meats, the onions and half the salt together and refrigerate
Pre-heat the oven to 400⁰F
In a large pot or roasting pan (cast iron is better if you have one), spread the pie crust to cover the entire pan.
Start with a layer of potato, followed by a layer of meat (broken into pieces) covering the potatoes generously. Alternate steps between the potatoes and meat (about three layers of each in total)
Add the liquid and the remaining salt
You may want to add some more liquid if you think there is not enough.
Cover with the crust and brush egg on the top. Cut three holes on the top crust for ventilation
Cover lightly with aluminium foil
Bake at 400⁰ F for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 275⁰ F and bake for another 4 hours
After 4 hours, remove the aluminium paper and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the crust is golden in colour.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Denis Martel — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:20:10 +0000

You will not regret on a cold Winter night having spent the time the previous October making these stuffed sweet peppers. I personally like to take one out on a Friday night and eat as an appetizer so I can wait for my late dinner when my wife comes home.

Donz’t cook them completely if you want to freeze them. They will continue to cook when your will warm them up.

Ingredients:

8 red banana peppers
10 medium potatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300 ml chopped fresh basil
1 egg yolk
25 ml melted butter
50 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
75 gr grated parmesan cheese
Mozzarella

Method:

Peel and cook the potatoes in salted boiling water
Slice the pepper lengthwise, making sure to keep the tip
Carefully remove the seeds and wash the inside of the peppers
Blanch the pepper in boiling water for about 4 to 5 minutes, until they become tender
Cool off the pepper in cold water then dry them
Drain the potatoes, then
Mash the potatoes using a potato masher so they are still lumpy
Mix garlic, basil, egg yolk butter and oil with the potatoes. Add more oil/butter, if required
Add salt and pepper
Add parmesan cheese
Lightly salt the inside of the red peppers and stuff with the potato mixture, using your fingers
Add some Mozzarella on top and put them on a cookie sheet
Bake at 400⁰F for about 30 minutes.

Potato Rissoles

Denis Martel — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:59:58 +0000

When I created this recipe, I knew what I wanted to do but I had no idea how much spice I should put in. Even though the potatoes turned out very good, they were way too spicy! In this recipe, I have the curry quantity cut down by half!

Ingredients:

6 potatoes cut in cubes (1 cm)
5 ml parsley
5 ml oregano
5 ml onion salt
2 ml curry
2 ml black pepper
2 ml cayenne pepper
2 ml garlic powder

Method:

Mix spices in a strong plastic bag
Heat oil in a thick bottom frying pan
Mix potatoes with spices in the plastic bag
Place potatoes in the frying pan for about 3 minutes, stirring often
Place frying pan in the oven to 325⁰ for about 15 to 20 minutes

Leek and Potato Soup

Denis Martel — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:17:39 +0000

My daughters always ask for a second serving when I make this soup.

When you serve the soup, you may want to add 5 ml of cream in each bowl for decoration.

Ingredients:

4 chopped leeks (remove the green part)
4 medium potatoes, cut into large pieces
2 l chicken stock
Parsley, salt & pepper
200 ml cream 35% (can be substituted with 15%)

Method:

Cook the leek and potatoes in the chicken stock until the potatoes are ready
Add seasoning to taste
Purée the soup in a food processor (you will probably need to puree in 2 or 3 portions)
Return the soup to the pot and add the cream
Adjust seasoning if necessary