5 minute read
Ballymakenny Farm Irish Heritage and Specialty Potatoes
Ballymakenny Farm Irish Heritage and Specialty Potatoes
FOOD AWARD
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BY ALI DUNWORTH
The Irish are known around the world to be quite taken with potatoes, but we’ve never known the country to collectively obsess over spuds the way we have with Ballymakenny Farm potatoes. These potatoes have developed a cult-like following in Ireland over the last few years for good reason, and despite the challenges of 2020 they continue to be the spuds everyone wants on their plates. Maria and David Flynn started out growing the usual potatoes for supermarket retail until Maria, unenthused by what they were doing, decided to literally inject a bit of colour into their farming by trying out the ‘purple spuds’ they have become best known for. They planted these purple Violetta potatoes along with Red Emmalies, Yukon Gold and of course the peculiar-shaped Pink Fir Apple potato. She had spotted a gap in the market for heritage potatoes to be grown in Ireland with an idea to target chefs and restaurants directly. Through a combination of Maria knocking on restaurant doors, word of mouth and savvy social media posts, Ballymakenny became the most sought-after potatoes by high-end chefs and restaurateurs in Ireland and heading into 2020, Maria says things were looking good. ‘We’d just begun to relax into our new way of growing, not to mention new crops for our amazing chefs, building in confidence and sales year on year. And then Covid arrived.’
Overnight, the customer base Ballymakenny had worked so hard to cultivate came to a standstill, but fast-thinking Maria needed something to focus on. In a matter of days she had set up the Spud Shack, a drive-through shop on their farm. ‘The idea was to give me something to focus on every day and hope for some glimmers of positivity along the way. It very quickly developed into a positive, happy place, with customers bringing much more than their custom. Their pure will and want to help us is one of the most humbling experiences of my 50 years.’ The Spud Shack garnered plenty of attention on both social media and in the news. Maria credits the support of the hospitality industry and friends as playing a huge part in this. ‘We never felt alone and always feel we are being pushed on by a surge of goodwill and genuine “we’ve got your back” vibes.’ This led to setting up an online shop to sell the spuds nationwide and small independent shops started to reach out and ask if they could stock the potatoes. They now sell out week on week and Maria says the Spud Shack is here to stay. ‘A garden shed, our beautiful potatoes and a lot of hope has turned into another element of our business, which will remain long after Covid has become a memory. We might have been knocked down, but we are far from out. There are a few more pivots in this farm yet.’ ballymakennyfarm.com
Ballymakenny Mayan Rose potato cakes with black pudding and Brussels sprouts
Potato cakes are so versatile. They work well for brunch, lunch, supper or as a side for dinner. You can make them from scratch or plan ahead when you’re making mash for dinner to have leftovers. The Brussels sprouts can be swapped out for cabbage or kale and if you want a vegetarian version, use feta instead of black pudding. Mayan Rose potatoes cook one-third faster than most potatoes, so if you are using another variety you may need to cook them for a bit longer. Serves 4 to 6
800g Ballymakenny Mayan Rose potatoes, unpeeled / 100g Brussels sprouts / 40g butter / 40ml milk / Sea salt and ground white pepper / 100g black pudding, cut into cubes / 1 egg, beaten / 1 small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped / 60–100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting / Oil, for pan-frying / Eggs cooked any way you like, to serve / Relish, to serve
Put your potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat so it’s not boiling too vigorously and cook for 10 minutes. Pour off some water, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2 to 5 minutes more, until a knife goes through the potatoes easily. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your Brussels sprouts. Trim the ends and discard the outer leaves. Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil, then add the sprouts and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool straight away. Once they are cool enough to handle, shred them. When the potatoes are cooked, drain and peel them straight away – the skin should come away easily with a regular knife or even a spoon. Clean kitchen or rubber gloves help here, otherwise use a clean tea towel to hold the hot potatoes as you peel them. Put your peeled spuds in a large bowl, then mash them with a potato masher until smooth (if you have a potato ricer, use that). Heat your butter and milk together, then add to the potatoes along with a generous seasoning of sea salt and white pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and keep mashing until you get a really smooth consistency and all the lumps are gone. Stir in the Brussels sprouts, black pudding, beaten egg and chives. Mix well, then start to stir in the flour one spoonful at a time until the mixture is a consistency you can handle – it will be a bit sticky, but that’s okay. Scoop out one handful of the mixture at a time (you may need to dust your hands with more flour) and shape into six to eight balls, then squash each one down into a patty using your hand or a small rolling pin until they are about 1.5cm thick. Dust with some flour and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. When you’re ready to cook the potato cakes, preheat your oven to 150°C. Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Working in batches, add a few potato cakes and sear for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a baking tray to heat through and keep warm in the oven. Meanwhile, prepare your eggs however you like to eat them – poached, fried or soft boiled all work great. Serve the potato cakes with an egg on top and some relish on the side. Recipe by Ali Dunworth
