What I Have Been Up Too
24 June 2025
I have several things on the go. The first attempt at the potato scones produced a flavorful biscuit but was pretty dense. I like putting the grated potato in hot water to extract the starch and using this as the liquid. However, I had too much liquid and ended up overworking the dough. I will test again with less water.
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I have developed a method for air-frying potato chips and am testing it with other potato varieties. It is not one size fits all when it comes to potatoes, and I need to change the parboiling times depending on the starch quantity of the potato. I am also way behind in writing up the test results. I hope to have the base method released along with a video at the end of the week.
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I was surprised that the mashed potato imitating icing was not more popular, especially the Meatloaf Cupcakes. Not only did these look cute, they tasted divine. We now have many great potato varieties and a greater range of colours. Why not release your inner child and add some colourful mashed potatoes to your dish?
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There is not a lot happening on the truffle front. I need to get down to Redhill to restock. My truffle honey and mustard stores are nearly gone, and I want a fresh truffle to test in various kinds of butter and the truffle mushroom paste. I need to make the most of the truffle while it is at its best, so I need a few days free to focus on cooking just with it. Hopefully, that will happen soon.
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Keep a (potato) eye out for more updates.
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Jenny
8th September 2025
I have been watching A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking. At the soft launch of her restaurant, Analiese made a wallaby pithivier pie. They looked different. The way the base puffed, and the top scored through an egg wash, added a medieval look. They also contained a potato layer. I had to play.
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I was not keen on the wallaby idea. After scouring the internet, I found one that not only walked me through the process but also featured a meat patty made from Cumberland sausage, and the potato layer was potatoes boulangère. Thank you, Kitchen Projects. I am still working on the filling, a pork and apple patty with potatoes boulangère and roasted capsicum, but it is the assembly that I need to master. My first video will be how not to assemble a pithivier pie!
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Do you ever get something into your head and find it impossible to waver from it? You may even feel it is wrong, but you get stuck on it. I knew what I was doing had a high chance of not working. It defied all techniques for working with pastry and forming pies, but I doggedly stuck with it. It was only after I had formed the pies that I watched the tutorial again and realised that I had really botched the process. At one point, I considered not baking them as they were bound to leak, but I did not want to waste the filling and thought I might be able to salvage something. Surprisingly, they did hold and looked good. I am eager to try again. The filling needs tweaking. I sent some out for a taste test, and the capsicum needs to go. Maybe a layer of caramelised onion and increase the potato layer. I paired it with an apple and truffle mustard sauce, but another suggestion has been a truffle gravy. Oh, the possibilities! And of course, I must master forming them!
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Keep a (potato) eye out for the next version.
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Jenny