Mum’s potatoes

Mum was no cook when I was a kid..her spaghetti bolognaise consisted of mince meat & a can of tomato soup simmered for about 2 hours, slop it over some noodles & viola!

Everyone gets lucky once in a while though. Mum could manage to cook 2 things beautifully:

1) A cracking good roast chook (even if it’s wing tips were always burnt)

2) Mum’s potatoes

I don’t really know what kind of dish you would call my Mum’s potatoes, they’re not a gratin..because there’s no cream or cheese, they’re not quite a galette either. So they have always just been called Mum’s potatoes. They’re not hard & they’re made of things everyone keeps in the house..they’re simple, yummy, crunchy, salty & garlicky.

Mum & I don’t speak to each other these days which I guess is a little sad, we have just never been able to see eye to eye. I can completely & wholeheartedly agree with her though that these potatoes are ace!

Mum’s Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 waxy potatoes
• a sprig of rosemary (dried is also fine)
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 chicken or veggie bullion cubes dissolved in about 1/3 cup of hot water (depending on how salty you like things, use low sodium bullion if you like too)
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 Echalotte
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180c
2. Finely slice the potatoes & the echalotte (I used my mandolin & managed not to cut myself)
3. Drizzle some olive oil into a shallow oven proof dish (I usually use a pie dish) and add half the garlic & rosemary
4. Layer the potatoes on top of the oil & pour over the bullion
5. Add the rest of the rosemary & garlic, crumble over the echalotte,  drizzle over some more olive oil & season.
6. Bake uncovered for about 35 minutes until crispy & golden & potatoes are cooked through

I love how these potatoes are all gooey & sticky underneath & crunchy on top, it’s addictive! I must admit I pulled these out of the oven a bit prematurely, took the photos, tasted & then stuck them back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.

mmm-mmm baby, come to Mama!

Good news too! I have engaged the services of Dionne from StudioChic to give my blog a shiny new face-lift, so Bake & Bloom will be a whole lot prettier in a few weeks.