Creamy Potato and Onion Bake

Potatoes form a staple in British cuisine.

For this dish the floury varieties,

including King Edward and Maris Piper, are ideal.

They are usually used for mashing and roasting,

but are not much good for salads as they tend to break up on boiling.

Because of their bland flavour and creamy, starchy texture,

they work well with dairy produce

as well as with stronger-tasting ingredients like

tomatoes, cheese, onions, garlic and spices.

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Ingredients:

75g butter, plus extra for greasing

3 onions sliced into thin rings

1kg potatoes

100g finely chopped hazel nuts

200ml fresh parsley, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

400ml double cream

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Heat a knob of the butter in a large, heavy-based pan until foaming. Add the onions and fry until softened and golden-brown.

Chop the anchovies and add to the onions during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, slice the potatoes, and then cut each slice into thin batons.

Butter a large ovenproof casserole dish. Place a layer of the cooked onions and anchovies in the bottom, then add a layer of potatoes and top with a small knob of butter. Layer a sprinkling of parsley and chopped nuts over, then repeat the layering process again with the onions, potatoes, butter and nuts and parsley, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Season each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you go.

Pour over the cream and dot with the remaining butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender and golden-brown on top.

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Cooks Note:

Parsley has twice the vitamin C of an orange,

more calcium than milk.

It also has a diuretic action,

which helps to reduce blood pressure

and remove toxins via the kidneys.