kumara - spanishchef.net

Four Unusual things to do with a potato

If the thought of using potato and kumara in sweet recipes and breads is unfamiliar to you, it soon won’t be! There are treats as surprising as on extravagant chocolate truffle cake, or nutty kumara pie, doughnuts, waffles and lunchbox cakes. The breads are wonderful, too, with diverse flavours, including focaccia and rolls with a tasty filling – and all with potato in the recipe. Here is just four ideas for you to play with and enjoy.

MOIST CHOCOLATE POTATO TRUFFLE CAKE

1/4 cup (60mI) brandy
1/3 cup (55g) seedless prunes, finely chopped
125g soft butter
1 1/2 cups (300g) brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups (255g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa
3/4 cup (180mI) water
1 medium (200g) old potato, peeled, grated

TRUFFLE PRUNE FILLING

3/4 cup (180ml) cream
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons finely chopped seedless prunes

Line base and side of deep 22cm round cake pan with a layer of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above edge of pan. Combine brandy and prunes in small bowl; stand 30 minutes.

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beat until combined. Stir in sifted flour and cocoa, prune mixture, water and potato in 2 batches. Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake in moderate oven about 11/4 hours. Stand cake 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Line base and side of same clean cake pan with plastic wrap. Level top of cake. Split cake into 2 layers. Place 1 layer into pan, spread with partly set filling, top with remaining layer. Cover, refrigerate until filling is set. Turn out carefully onto serving plate; dust with extra cocoa, if desired.

Truffle Prune Filling: Bring cream to boil in small pan, remove from heat; add chocolate, stir until smooth and melted. Stir in egg yolk, brandy and prunes. Refrigerate until thick, stirring occasionally so that mixture thickens evenly. Serves 10.

SESAME POTATO BREAD

2 medium (400g) potato
3 cups (450g) plain flour
1/3 cup (50g) sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons (7g) dried yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup (250ml) warm milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted, extra

Grease 14cm x 21cm loaf pan, line base and 2 opposite sides with baking paper. Peel potato, cut into 1cm cubes. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender; drain, cool.

Sift flour into large bowl, add potato, seeds, yeast, sugar, salt and chives. Stir in milk and oil, mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover; stand in warm place about 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size.
Tum dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth. Divide dough into 2 portions, knead each portion into a rounded shape.

Place both portions in prepared pan, stand in warm place about 30 minutes or until dough is almost doubled in size. Brush loaf with egg, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds, bake in moderate oven about 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

POTATO ROLLS WITH HERBED BACON FILLING

You will need to cook 2 medium (400g) potato or 1 medium (40% kumara for this recipe.

1 3/4 cups (430ml) milk
30g compressed yeast
1kg bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3/4 cup (180mI) water
50g butter, melted

HERBED BACON FILLING
30g butter
1 bacon rasher, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup mashed potato or kumara
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Grease 2 oven trays. Bring milk to boil, cool to room temperature; add crumbled yeast, stir until dissolved. Sift dry ingredients into large bowl, stir in yeast mixture, water and butter; mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover; stand in warm place about 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth; divide dough evenly into 24 portions, shape each portion using the following methods, if desired.

Long Rolls: Roll each portion of dough to 15cm rectangle, place 2 teaspoons of filling 5cm from 1 end of dough, roll up and place on prepared trays, cover; stand in warm place about 15 minutes or until doubled in size.

Round Rolls: Roll each portion of dough to 10cm round, place 2 teaspoons of filling in centre of each round, pinch dough up to enclose filling. Place rounds, pinched side down, onto prepared trays, cover; stand in warm place about 15 minutes or until doubled in size.

To decorate, sprinkle with a little extra flour and slash surface with a knife; or brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake in hot oven about 20 minutes.

Herbed Bacon Filling: Heat butter in pan, add bacon, garlic and thyme, cook 3 minutes. Combine bacon mixture, potato and chives in bowl. Makes 24.

KUMARA NUT PIE

90g soft butter
I/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
11/4 cups (185g) plain flour
I/4 cup (35g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (30g) chopped pecans
3/4 cup (75g) pecan halves, extra

FILLING
1 large (500g) kumara, peeled, chopped
3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
I/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons grated orange rind
I/4 cup (60ml) cream

Grease 23cm round x 3.5cm deep loose-base flan tin. Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth, add sugar and egg, beat only until combined; do not overbeat. Stir in half the sifted flours with wooden spoon, then remaining flours and chopped nuts by hand. Knead gently on
lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line prepared tin.

Lift pastry into tin, ease into side, trim edge. Lightly prick pastry with fork; refrigerate 30 minutes.
Cover pastry with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Place on oven tray, bake in moderately hot oven 10 minutes.

Remove paper and beans carefully from pastry case, bake further 10 minutes or until browned; cool.
Pour filling into pastry case, place on oven tray, bake in moderately hot oven 20 minutes. Place extra nuts around edge of pie, return to oven, reduce heat to moderate, bake further 25 minutes or until
pie is firm.

Filling: Boil, steam or microwave kumara until tender; drain, push through sieve. Combine kumara, sugar, spices, syrup, eggs, rind and cream in bowl; mix well. Serves 6 to 8.

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