Spuds Got Spunk!

Because there’s more to potatoes than Princess Sarah memes and starch. Here are creative ways to cook your taters.

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 4, 2014

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Not many Pinoys know enough about the humble potato.  (Well, perhaps except Princess Sarah and her potato memes!) We often limit the preparation of potatoes to French fries, mashed potato, hash browns, chips, and as a vital ingredient to menudo or nilagang baka. But there is so much more to potatoes.

Did you know that spuds started growing in Peru? And do you know potatoes fuel the brain and muscles and rank as the food that offers the most satiety? Yes, if you’re on a diet, potatoes can fill you up all day. Contrary to the belief that potatoes make you fat because of their starch content, they don’t. According to US Potato Board (USPB) global food service marketing manager Susan Weller, a potato as big as a computer mouse only has 110 calories and zero fat. Rich in fiber and packed with vitamins B and C, it contains more potassium than a banana. Susan adds that potatoes can only be fattening if you cook them wrong, such as when you fry them.

To demonstrate that there is more to the humble, often neglected potato, MB Lifestyle flew to Cebu for a three-day US potato safari. At the helm are Susan and USPB co-chairman for international marketing Carl Hoverson dubbed as the US’ “Mr. Spud.” The winner of the US National Potato Council for Environmental Award, he provides potatoes to McDonald’s branches in the US. The potato safari aims to highlight USPB’s frozen russet potatoes, which, according to Mr. Spud, are dubbed by the US FDA as  “healthy.” He says the Philippines is the second largest export market in Southeast Asia.

The potato safari brought in myriad flavors drawn from the humble potato by Cebu’s participating restaurants. In the challenge, the restaurants came up with potato-based dishes from appetizer to main course and down to dessert. The menu they came up with will be available between January and March next year.

Here are the different ways you can enjoy potatoes. Promise, you’ll never eat potatoes the same way again. Ever.

 POTATO PERMUTATION Counterclock wise from right: Circa 1900′s crispy redatone canyon spirals in kaffirlime and ginger infused seafood chowder and chips spiced in Asian style Ceasar with yellow mis aioli shaved parmesan Mandarin sausage bonito and quail eggs, Anzani’s choco mousse with brown sugar and US crinkle cut potato topped with vanilla ice cream, and The Suite Room’s mixed greens with candied US potato and grapes salad in strawberry vinaigrette.

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Caramelized potato golden patties with maja blanca cheesecake and malunggay ice cream

Potatoes as dessert? Yes, please. The Circa 1900 restaurant partly owned by chef Steve Shrimski has already been serving potatoes as desserts. But for the US Potato Safari challenge, he coated them with caramelized sugar. The mashed potatoes surprisingly tasted like kamote (sweet potato). Add malunggay ice cream (or any flavor of choice) and you get a fusion of hot potato and cold ice cream complementing each other. For an extra local flavor, chef Steve threw maja blanca cheesecake into the mix.

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Truffled mashed potatoes with homemade meatloaf and bacon

The Suite Room’s bacon meatloaf served with truffled mashed potatoes gives a pop of flavors kids and foodies would love. The saltiness of the bacon, the juiciness of the meatloaf, and the subtle sweetness of the mashed potatoes when combined together oozes with flavors worthy to savor.

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Potatoes with veggies and cheese

Non-vegetable lovers would surely dig in Anzani restaurant’s baked seasonal vegetables layered with mozzarella melt and sandwiched with US hash brown crust. The vegetables carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, and mushroom come together to create a mouthwatering dish. Plus, the melt-in-your-mouth cheesy goodness adds an extra punch to the veggies and potatoes. The savory flavor of the potato is created by Anzani’s chef Marco Anzani, who is celebrated by New York Times as the pioneer of the new Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Anzani is generous enough to share the secrets of the dish you can make at home:

Ingredients:
50g US hash brown potato
10g zucchini
10g beetroot
10g pumpkin
10g shiitake mushroom
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Procedures:
Cut the zucchini, beetroot, and pumpkin into the same size as a regular hash brown.
Marinate the zucchini, beetroot, shiitake mushroom, and pumpkin with olive oil, salt and pepper then grill individually.
Assemble them on alternative style US hash brown potato on the bottom then vegetable according to your color preference.
Grate cheese and put on top and serve.

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Here is another of chef Anzani’s creation you can make at home:

Tomato flat bread stuffed with skin on fries, cheese, salami, roasted garlic, and figs

Ingredients:
500mg tomato pizza dough
100g US skin-on fries
50g Fontina cheese
50g spicy salami
40g roasted garlic
30g figs
Extra virgin olive oil

Procedures:
On a well dusted flat surface, roll the pizza dough into thin oval shape.
Place the US skin-on fries, then top them with fontina cheese, spicy salami, roasted garlic, and figs.
Brush the edge with egg wash to close the dough and form a roulade (roll).
Twist the end of the roulade to close them, and then bake.
Serve the roulade with diagonal cuts and finish with balsamic reduction.