Christchurch is home of N.Z. potato for connoisseurs

Press, 7 May 1983, Page 14

Christchurch is home of N.Z. potato for connoisseurs

Food & Fable

by

David Burton

Why is it that just two varieties of potato — Rua and Ram Hardy — account for around 80 per cent of this country’s commercial crop? It would be nice to be able to answer that it is because they are both good all-rounders suited to every cooking method — which they are — but the real reason is mundanely economic: the growers like the Ham Hardy because of its high yields, and Rua because it stores well and can be sold for high prices at the end of winter. Recently, Tui Flower (of Women’s Weekly fame) reported that on a recent trip to Paris her French friends were horrified that New Zealanders have only two potato varieties to choose from — in France they have eight. Each of these is grown for a particular cooking use, such as baking, boiling, chips, or soups. In Germany, where the Kartoffel is King, there are over 100 commercial varieties. Furthermore, all potatoes for sale in West Germany must be classified as to size, producers’ name, and cooking type. The Americans too, have developed varieties for particular cooking methods. The most famous of these is the Idaho Baker. As the name suggests, it is particularly good for baking and is the only variety grown in Idaho, where more than 300,000 acres are in production. Unfortunately, attempts to grow the Idaho Baker in Canterbury have not been particularly successful, since erratic weather such as droughts causes the potato to grow into irregular shapes. Tests by the D.S.I.R. have proven that differences in the cooking qualities of potato varieties do not exist merely in the imagination of over-fastidious cooks. The way - a potato will behave when cooked is directly related to the percentage of starchy solids it contains. Potatoes which are low in solids (less than 18 per cent) will boil well, retaining their shape, but will go limp and soggy when made into chips. These are the famous “waxy” potatoes, best for Eotato salads or for lightly oiling and serving with parsley and butter. Potatoes high in solids (23 per cent and-upwards) have a dryer texture and do not absorb as much oil. These are the best frying potatoes, yielding crisp, mealy chips. They are also ideal for roasting and baking. On the other hand they tend to fall apart with boiling, and are more suitable for mashing or for soups. The Solids content of any given potato is determined partly by growing conditions (the more rain before harvesting, the more water is absorbed), partly by age (the watery “waxy” texture is lost as the potato ages and dries out) but most of all by its varietal type. The Ham Hardy and Rua varieties both have an average solids content (20 per

cent and 22 per cent respectively) which means they are adequate for all cooking methods, but spectacular for none. The red-skinned Rima and King Edwards both have a high-solids content, and are therefore excellent bakers and roasters. King Edwards are available from time to time, but unfortunately Rima is

rarely seen on the domestic market as nearly all of the crop is exported to the Pacific Islands. That this potato falls apart with boiling would be considered a fault here, but in the islands it is apparently considered a virtue. The red-skinned Dakota is a good example of a potato with low-solids content which is excellent for steaming or boiling. However, it too is rarely seen on the New Zealand market any more, since it is a knobbly potato with very deep eyes. The potato connoisseurs of Christchurch are fortunate in that a premium quality potato has been grown in the peat soils of the marshlands since 1939. This is the famous Black soil Chippewa (strictly apeaking a Katahdin variety) which is good as both a new and old potato and commands a premium price. It is also grown around Palmerston North. The potato consumer in this country has not always been faced with such little choice. In the 19305, for instance, there were six main varieties — Aucklander Short Top and Aucklander Long Top (both also known as Suttons Supreme), Arran Chief, Arran Banner, Red Dakota, and King Edward. The latter three are still grown, but in much smaller quantities since the introduction of the Ham Hardy in 1952 (by a Christchurch breeder, Mr R. G. Robinson) and the rua in 1967 (by the Crop Research Division of the D.5.1.R.). Perhaps the growers might also give more thought to providing variety in colour as well as usage. Red and pink skinned potatoes have great visual appeal, as do those with yellow flesh. In the Netherlands and West Germany the public demand for yellow-fleshed

potatoes far exceeds mat for white. It is also a great pity our so-called Maori potatoes, with their delightful pur-plish-red skins and flecks of purple through the flesh, have been allowed to become virtually extinct. Per capita potato consumption in this country has more than halved since 1900, as more and more people turn to rice and pasta. If the potato growers wish to retain their share of the market, they will have to respond to the increasing sophistication of their consumers by providing a wider choice of. potato varieties than we see at present. Potato Pie Having just said all that, here is a recipe for which any type of potato will do. For the pastry you will need: 225 g flour ■A tsp salt 200 g butter, chilled 1 egg yolk iced water Filling 550 -600 g potatoes, peeled ‘A cup chopped parsley salt and pepper 150 g ham or bacon 4 eggs Mi cup sour cream Sift flour and salt into a bowl and cut in chilled butter until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolk in a cup and add enough iced ’water to make up a quarter of a cup. Mix this in and let the pastry rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before rolling out and lining a large dish, reserving about a third for the top. Hard-boil the eggs. Slice the potatoes about Bmm thick, or slice in food processor, and lay over the bottom of the pie. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and then lightly sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Place over another layer of potatoes and cover this with ham or bacon, lace over another layer of potato, parsley and seasdnings and repeat this layering process until all the ingredients are used up. Now slice the hard boiled eggs and place them on top.

Pour over the sour cream, covering the eggs well so they will not harden during cooking. Lay over the lid of pastry on top and seal the edges. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes in a moderate oven. If you wish, glaze the top with egg yolks and water towards the end of cooking. Serves 4 to 6.

Famous black soil Chippewa commands a premium price