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Around
the same time, potato cultivation began in the Canaries.
Philip II of Spain, whose ruthless Inquisition successfully repelled
the march of Protestantism during the late 16th century, believed
that grated potato pulp applied to painful areas would give quick
relief. He sent tubers to Pope Pius IV, who was known to suffer from
gout. We don't know whether they helped him, but he did take enough
interest to start cultivating them.
The next place we see the potato is at the home of the papal legate
in Belgium, who passed it to Philippe de Sivry, Governor of the town
of Mons. De Sivry sent specimens to Charles de l'Ecluse, the French
botanist who was then responsible for the Imperial gardens in
Vienna. De L'Ecluse moved to Frankfurt in 1588, and then on to
Leyden, taking potatoes with him.
It was not until 1595 that a Swiss, Gaspard Bauhin, gave the tuber
its scientific name of solanum tuberosum. Soon after, potatoes were
introduced to France.
Meanwhile, the potato had reached Great Britain directly from the
Americas, when Sir Walter Raleigh brought it back from a failed
colony in 1586. When Queen Elizabeth I granted him the Younghal
estates in Ireland, Raleigh brought with him the potato, which
prospered there until the blight and the ensuing potato famines.
* * *
Here are two French potato recipes - one hot and one cold. I
shouldn't need to tell you that 'pepper' means freshly-ground black
peppercorns, and that 'salt' is usually sea salt from the Salins du
Midi, fairly coarsely ground.
STUFFED POTATOES
Time to Prepare and Cook: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS for 4 servings
1 kilogram (2 -1/4 pounds) large potatoes
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic
150 grams (5 ounces) ground beef
100 grams (3 ounces) sausage meat
1 egg
1 sprig parsley
salt & pepper
Peel the potatoes and cut them in two lengthways. Oil a baking tray
and put them in a very hot oven (Regulo 7, 225 Celsius, 440
Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile boil the egg for 10 minutes, then place it in a bowl of
cold water until you can easily pick it up and remove the shell.
Chop up the egg, onion and parsley, mix them with the meat and
season with salt and pepper.
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Scoop out the centre of each and
replace it with stuffing. Return the potatoes to the oven for 15
minutes.
Serve the stuffed potatoes on a bed of crisp lettuce.
DANDELION SALAD WITH POTATOES
Time to prepare and cook - 40 minutes.
INGREDIENTS for 4 servings
600 grams (1-1/4 pounds) potatoes
250 grams (1/2 pound) dandelions
100 grams (1/4 pound) smoked pork belly
3 shallots
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
Peel and wash the potatoes. Place them in cold salted water. Bring
to the boil and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, pick the young inner leaves of the dandelions and throw
away the rest. Wash them thoroughly and spin them dry. Peel the
shallots and chop them finely. Dice the smoked pork.
When they are cooked, remove the potatoes from the pan and cut them
into round slices. Put them in a salad bowl and let them cool.
Brown the smoked pork pieces in the groundnut oil. When ready, add a
tablespoon of vinegar and stir with a wooden spatula.
Arrange the dandelion leaves, chopped shallots and pieces of smoked
pork on top of the potato slices. Dribble the olive oil over the
lot, and season with salt and pepper. Mix the salad carefully and
serve immediately.
A PERSONAL QUIRK
I never peel potatoes, because that wastes the tastiest and most
nourishing bit. I just scrub them instead.
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