Stuffed potato cakes with tomato-chilli relish.Mark RoperStuffed potato cakes with tomato-chilli relish
These potato cakes also work well stuffed with leftovers such as vegetables,smoked fish,fresh curds or bolognese. They can be quick snacks,a dinner served with a salad or even eaten for breakfast. The potato flour and egg yolk are what hold the potato cakes together and make them easy to fry.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 potatoes (about 850-900g),cut into 3cm cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 50g (4 tbsp plus 1 tsp) potato flour,plus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp olive oil,plus extra for frying
- salt and pepper,to season
Makes 14 potato cakes
Jo Barrett.Mark RoperTomato-chilli relish
A good relish is determined by its versatility,even when it has distinct punchy flavours. The balance between sweetness,acidity and saltiness in this relish allows it to accompany most dishes,and those three elements also help to preserve it. No matter what ingredients you choose for your relish,specific visual cues will tell you when it’s ready for bottling – you’re aiming for a glossy,jammy texture. If it’s too loose,the relish will be soggy and have a short shelf life.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Makes 2 litres
How to clean equipment
Clean,sterile equipment is essential for successful and prolonged food preserving. Bacteria thrive in moist,temperate,food-rich environments. Food stored in jars in these conditions creates an ideal ecosystem for good and bad bacteria growth. It’s our role as the food preserver to control the environment for beneficial bacteria to thrive,so we can avoid the nasties. Harmful bacteria cause food spoilage,reduce shelf life,make food unpalatable and can lead to food poisoning. They can appear as colourful moulds,smell astringent or overly funky,and taste bitter,but they can also be undetectable. That’s the scary bit.
There are simple steps to reduce the risk of this happening. Practise good personal hygiene by washing your hands,work cleanly to prevent cross contamination and use clean,sterilised equipment.
For general cooking utensils,such as spoons,ladles,thermometers,etc:wash the equipment in hot soapy water and rinse. Fill a pot with water and bring it to the boil. Submerge the equipment into boiling water for one minute then place it on a clean tea towel to dry.
An efficient way to sterilise glass jars:preheat the oven to 110C (fan-forced or conventional) and heat the clean jars for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Place the clean jar lids in boiling water for 5 minutes.
The aim of each method is to kill any potential bacteria with heat over time. This gives you a “clean slate” and allows for effective and safe preserving.
Photo:This is an edited extract fromSustain:Groundbreaking Recipes and Skills that Could Save the Planet by Jo Barrett,Hardie Grant, RRP $55. Photography:Mark Roper.Buy now