http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/gordon_ramsay/article6311253.eceGordon Ramsay
Jersey Royal potatoes are, without doubt, one of the most prized ingredients of the spring and early summer, thanks to their fantastic flavour and tenderness. As the name suggests, they’re grown only on the island of Jersey, where they’ve been given protected status, like Champagne or Stilton, and 99 per cent of them are exported to the UK.
It’s the growing conditions that make the Jersey Royal special – plenty of sunlight and well-drained fertile soil create a really delicious spud. And its short season, from April to mid-June, is even more of an incentive to make the most of this fantastic British ingredient while we can.
Jersey Royals have the ideal combination of a waxy texture and buttery flavour. Choose unwashed ones and give them a good scrub before cooking – they have a better flavour than the pre-washed kind. You can take the papery skin off very easily by rubbing it with your thumb, but I prefer to leave some on, because that is where the flavour is.
An extra benefit is that most of the vitamins, nutrients and fibre are concentrated just below the skin. Keep them in a cool, dark cupboard, preferably in a paper bag so they can breathe, and use them within a few days – they don’t keep for very long.
At the height of the season, I’d happily eat bucketfuls of these little gems simply steamed until tender, then tossed while still hot in some butter and chopped mint, parsley and spring onions. But there are lots of other ways to enjoy Jersey Royals. Here are four of my favourites.
