Hasselback Jersey Royals with Gribiche Sauce

When I think of Jersey, instead of potatoes and cream, I think of Bergerac and John Nettles. And Hasselback obviously sounds like Hasselhoff, so this recipe should be extraordinarily good at fighting crime.A good Maris Piper potato salad, dressed lightly with mayonnaise and chives, or new potatoes gently robed with a zingy vinaigrette always sit well on the summer table. Warm Anyas, butter melting and pooling around and tossed through with parsley, salt and pepper as well is a perfect side-dish with a barbecued and charred rib-eye steak or some grilled sea bass with a herby oil.This potato salad has the crisp salty crunch of delicious jacket potaoes. The ridges absorb all the flavours and juices. Let it sit a while before dressing so it cools down.The gribiche sauce is a classic normally served with veal's head. It's a kind of cross between egg mayo and tartar sauce. While that may not sound instantly appealing to some, it really is delicious and gives this dish a little twist.So the only crime worth fighting here is probably going to be the British summer. Oh well, maybe I'll have a Magnum anyway.Ingredients500g Jersey RoyalsOlive oilSalt to seasonFor the gribiche:2 egg yolksSalt to season2 cooled hard-boiled eggs (about eight minutes)5 cornichons1tbsp capers1 small shallot2tsp Dijon mustard1 small red chilli (optional)Olive oilRapeseed oilSome parsleyMethodHeat the oven to 180c.Score the tops of the potatoes all the way across the top a millimetre apart slicing down just a little so they look stripy.Put them on an oven tray and roll them about in olive oil and salt then roast for 45 minutes.While the potatoes are cooking, make the gribiche.Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, hard boiled egg yolks (keeping the cooked whites aside) and some salt together in a bowl then gently drizzle in the olive oil, drip by drip at first, whisking all the while until it starts to form a thick emulsion. If you have a mini food processor, by all means use it for this stage.Now switch to the rapeseed oil and continue until you have a nice pot of mayonnaise. Thin it down with a little water or lemon juice if you like.Finely chop the parsley, shallots, cornichons and chilli then lightly run your knife through the capers and dice the cooked egg whites.Add all of this to the mayonnaise then mix well. Taste and season more if you like.Let the potatoes cool just a little then stir through the sauce and serve.

Finger On the Pulse

I've had falafels in the past where I'm not sure if  they've dropped a squash ball in the wrap and disguised it with garlic mayonnaise or after a busy day, they've swept all the dust from the floor and glued it together with chilli sauce. That could, however, be down to the kind of places I've visited and the time of day I've found myself there.I've heard talk here and there of the best falafel in London, without really paying attention, but toastandbutter.net mentions a place just down the road from me. I will visit one day, it's down the path of good intentions. It's just that the thought of dragging myself over to a windswept and lonely park isn't very appealing.In the meantime, I've made my own, and honestly, these are the best falafels I've ever made. However, I think they may  be the only falafels I've ever made. I'd recommend eating them fresh from the pan, hot, just slightly crumbly and wrapped in warm, homemade flatbreads with chilli sauce and peppers.If you like, you can make the mix, shape it and keep it covered in the fridge for a day. It's better to cook them to order than to eat them after they've been hanging around for a while, like someone in a kebab shop queue.Let me know how you make yours, and if you have any secret ingredients.Ingredients1 tin of chickpeas. Even better would be the equivalent amount, dried and soaked overnight, but you may have forgotten, like I did, or maybe you can't be bothered. Either is fine2 banana shallots, finely sliced. Peeled of course1 red onion, finely sliced, as above1 mild red chilli, chopped (or more if you like them poky)2tsp ground cumin2tsp ground corianderA pinch of grated nutmegA handful of baby spinach, quickly wilted, finely chopped and cooled1 free-range egg, lightly beaten2tbsp olive oil2tbsp chickpea (gram) flour for dusting. Or plain flour if you don't have anySalt and pepper. Use decent salt with everything, please250ml rapeseed oil for frying I like HillfarmMethodSlowly sauté the onion, shallots and spices in a pan until soft and golden. Season well, add the chilli and cook for a minute more.Put this in a large bowl, add the spinach, chickpeas, egg and a dash of olive oil then mix well.Mash the mixture together. I used my hands for the fun of it. I won't do it that way again, it took ages. I'd use a potato masher or stick blender, but be sure to not turn it into a purée. It's best if some of the chickpeas remain whole or halved to give a better texture.When you're happy with the mix, shape them using your hands or two tablespoons into quenelle-like shapes. You can then squash these down into patties if you like.Dust them in the flour and put in the fridge to firm for about an hour.Heat a deep pan with the rapeseed oil to about 180c and when ready, slowly drop in a few of the falafels, one at a time. Cook until golden all over, turning them occasionally in the oil. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain while you finish the rest.Serve with tahini yoghurt and some flatbreads and banish those bad memories.

Nettle and wild garlic pesto with prawns and sweet potato

Nettles grow like mad this time of year. Now, after many childhood tears, it’s time for revenge.They have a grassy, earthy flavor that goes well in risotto or soup and if you like spinach, sorrel and other greens, you’ll love nettles. They’re also free, although ridiculously I’ve seen them for sale in a few farmers’ markets.I’ve paired it with wild garlic in this pesto recipe; it’s coming to the end of the season now it’s June so I’m trying to cram it into everything I can, flowers and all. Mix the pesto through pasta, preferably trofie or trenette, serve it with seared tuna and a tomato salad or toss it through buttery new potatoes or cauliflower. Here I’m serving it with some fresh prawns and sweet potato fries. It keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge, just top it up with oil every so often.Wear a pair of rubber gloves when picking nettles (they lose their sting after boiling for one minute) and if you don’t have any in your garden, try and avoid picking them from areas well used by dog walkers or foxes…Makes:                          A big tubfulPreparation time:      10 minutesCooking time:            10 minutesIngredients150g stinging nettles3 cloves of garlic40g parmesan180ml rapeseed oil1 green chilli100g toasted pine nutsA handful of wild garlic leaves and flowersSalt to seasonRapeseed oil for frying180g raw, shelled tiger prawns per person1/3 of a sweet potato each5cm of cucumber1 tbsp black sesame seeds1 tbsp ground turmeric2 spring onions2 red birdseye chillies, slicedJuice of a limeMethod1.  Blanche the nettles in boiling water for one minute, refresh in cold water then pick the leaves and discard the stems.2.  Add all the ingredients apart from the oil to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.3.  With the machine running, pour in the oil in a steady stream until you have a fairly coarse but loose paste. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.4.  Decant into an airtight jar, pour over some oil and store in the fridge.For the prawns and sweet potato:1. Heat about three centimetres of rapeseed oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan to about 180c. For each person use about 1/3 of a sweet potato, skin and all, and cut it very finely lengthways into long matchstick chips. I use a mandoline for this with a julienne blade.2. Fry the potato in the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt, black sesame seeds and turmeric powder then set aside.3. Toss some shelled, raw tiger prawns (I use about 180g per person because I’m greedy) in rice flour and fry in batches in the oil until cooked and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper then stir through a couple of tablespoons of the pesto and toss well. Set this aside for a minute too.4. Salt the cucumber then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Mix the cucumber, spring onion and red chilli together and season well.5. Divide the sweet potato between the plates, top with the prawns in pesto and the cucumber mix. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lime juice.