The Spanish introduced potatoes to Europe from South America in the 16th century. They arrived in Ireland over the following centuries and since then have held a central place in the culinary food history of Ireland.
The association of the potato with Irish people grew so much so that even though Peru is their actual home, “around the world people consider Ireland to be the spiritual home of the potato,” Keogh explains.
As a nation we’ve really embraced them as our own, we love eating them, talking, and debating about them. Many have a preference for either balls of flour or waxy varieties.
“Spuds have been on our plates, in our homes and synonymous with Irish food for centuries and despite our flirtations with other carbs, potatoes always hold a special love in our hearts. It’s ingrained into the Irish psych from a young age,” says Keogh. It certainly was for him growing up on a farm in north Co Dublin where his family have been growing potatoes for more than 200 years.
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In addition to growing potatoes, the family introduced the now familiar Keogh’s brand to the business over a decade ago, with great success. As president of the Irish Potato Federation where he advocates for his genuine love of potatoes, campaigning for increased potato consumption promoting their versatility, sustainability, nutrition, affordability and delicious taste.
At a time when local and seasonal are the buzzwords in food, it doesn’t get much more local and seasonal than Irish-grown potatoes. “They are a local food to us all year round,” he says, explaining that harvested potatoes are barn-stored for availability throughout the year, with different varieties peaking consumer interest during different months.
He recommends seeking out the first early varieties like Home Guard and Premier in May, June, and July, followed by Queens for the main summer months. Main crop varieties such as Rooster, Maris Piper, and Kerr’s Pink are harvested in September, October, November and available to consumers for the rest of the year.
The Rooster variety was developed specifically for the Irish palate in the 1990s. It’s by far the most popular potato in the country, amounting to about 65 per cent of retail sales
When it comes to the varieties we love, the floury spud reigns supreme in Ireland. But what does floury actually mean in this context and why is it our go-to potato? “It’s down to our food heritage in the varieties that we choose,” Keogh explains. “Traditionally Irish people like a floury potato with a medium-high dry matter because it tied in exceptionally well with our strong dairy tradition. Butter, cheese and cream were other food staples in the home which provided a wide range of delicious meal options”. “Rooster provided all the benefits of a traditional Irish spud with the added benefit of a very clean pinky-red skin finish for peeling. They knew what they were doing when they created the Rooster,” he says. “It’s by far the most popular spud in the country, amounting to about 65 per cent of retail sales.”
After that we also have a preference for floury varieties such as Kerr’s Pink, Golden Wonder and Maris Piper. Salad/baby potatoes are available for people who like waxy potatoes. That’s before we even get into the many more regional and heritage varieties growing in popularity all the time.
So now we know a bit more about why we love them and when to eat each variety what is the best, no-fuss way to cook each delicious in-season Irish spud?
Know your spuds? Here’s the drill on the varieties available now
Roosters: Creamy, moreish mash
Our favourite all-rounder, Roosters are wonderful boiled, baked, roasted or chipped but for the ultimate creamy mash, peel and boil your potatoes until soft. Remove from the heat and drain, let sit in their steam for 5-10 minutes. Add butter, milk that is warmed a little before adding, or even cream to the mash. Try a grate of nutmeg to finish.
Golden Wonder: quick-fix wedges
For Golden Wonders, Ross recommends making wedges for it is a variety that is longer in length. “When you cut them up you’ve got a nice long wedge to dip your sauce into,” he explains. The unique flavour and dry, floury texture will taste great. Leave the skin on for a rustic vibe, add some rosemary for flavour and cook in the oven. Serve with a sour cream and chive dip, which should match well.
Maris Piper: perfect roasties
A weekend roast calls for perfect roasties, so look no further than Maris Piper, their creamy flesh guarantees a crispy outside and fluffy centre. A classic roast potato recipe usually involves par boiling your spuds, then drying them out before oven-roasting them with goose or duck fat – always a crowd pleaser.
Kerr’s Pink: the winter warmer
Kerr’s Pink are good all-rounders, but they really shine when they are steamed or roasted giving us those “balls of flour” we think of when we talk about a floury Irish spud. For extra fluff, once cooked, drain the water from the pot and place a clean tea towel over the spuds, leave them off the heat with the lid on for at least five minutes before serving. Balls of flour guaranteed – just add butter.
Salad/baby potatoes: air fryer smashed spuds
Baby potatoes or should we say party potatoes? These small, round waxy spuds with creamy flesh will be your best friends when you’ve got people round, especially if you’ve got an air fryer. Simply “smash” your baby spuds, drizzle with oil, season and air fry. Jazzy is the variety shown above. Make a loaded version by adding cheese and bacon. Serve them crispy with a selection of dips.
Want a quick brunch crowd-pleaser?
For a really quick and gorgeous brunch or speedy supper consider pan-frying a raw shredded potato – yes you read that right! There are a host of Alpine dishes where raw potatoes are grated straight on to the frying pan like Swiss Rösti. Ross loves to make Tiroler Gröstl, an Austrian dish made with diced potato pan fried with bacon and onion. “With a fried egg on top, my daughters leave a clean plate every time.”
Fancy more potato inspiration? For over 320 delicious potato recipes visit potato.ie