From pink fir to ratte, Jersey royals to Charlotte, there are thousands of potato varieties and endless possibilities for deliciousness. Slow-cooked in fat, triple-fried or mashed into silky submission, potatoes are a pub menu classic for a reason. Here are our six favourite potato dishes from Britain’s 100 Best Pubs, supported by Koffmann’s Potatoes. For more perfect potatoes, follow Koffmann's here.
Keema shepherd's pie at The Highland Laddie, Leeds
At The Highland Laddie, smooth silky mash is blended with urad dhal to create the topping for a spicy, warming keema shepherd’s pie in a nod to Desi pubs.
Hazelnut gnocchi at The Pack Horse, Hayfield, Derbyshire
Potatoes are folded into flour to form the base of this glorious gnocchi dish at the Pack Horse. An autumnal combination showcasing the best of the county's produce with hazelnut, roasted squash, sage and parsley. Finished with flecks of Beauvale - an English blue cheese made in the Peak District and known for its mellow blue funk.
Aligot at The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire
Mountain cheese is melted into mashed potato at The Star Inn in a classic preparation of Auvergne aligot. A gloriously elastic, luxuriously smooth and endlessly comforting bowl of indulgent mash.
Crispy pink fir potatoes at the Queen's Arms, Corton Denham, Somerset
This elegant pub in picture-perfect Corton Denham gets lots of things just right. Among them are their crispy pink fir potatoes, smashed flat, craggy and golden, and adroitly seasoned with Willy’s cider vinegar and sea salt.
Skordalia at the Eagle, London
David Eyre’s ‘big flavours and rough edges’ are on full show in this silky Greek side made with pureed potato, plenty of raw garlic, almonds, lemon juice and olive oil. The blackboard menu, chalked up behind the open kitchen-cum-bar, changes daily but this is a dish worth keeping an eye out for.
