Roast Potatoes with ‘Nduja

potatoes with ‘nduja

I came across a recipe last week for Fried Potatoes with Sobrasada and I thought, “I’ve got ‘nduja in the fridge, I can go one better!”

‘nduja

‘Nuduja (pronounced ‘nduya) is an Italian pork salumi (cured sausage), made with  roasted red chilli peppers and spices. The mixture is squeezed into a pig’s intestine, which is tied up and smoked then left to cure for up to 2 years. ‘Nduja comes from Calabria in the south of Italy and takes it’s name from French Andouille and the Angevins who ruled the region in the 13th Century. Later, probably when Calabria was ruled by the Crown of Aragon, chilli peppers were brought back to Europe, and the Calabrians added them to their ‘nduja, which became a unique salumi in it’s own right.

‘nduja

‘Nduja keeps for months in the fridge and a small slice works wonders in sauces, stews and even on pizza. You will find ‘nduja in good butchers shops, Italian delicatessen and even some supermarkets (albeit in jars).

Roast Potatoes with ‘Nduja recipe:

good roasting potatoes (as many as required) – I used désirée from Perry Court Farm
a 1 cm slice of ‘nduja (this is sufficient for quite a few potatoes – to serve at least 4 or 5 people)
goose fat (or olive oil)
a sprig or two of rosemary
sea salt

bashed potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into a serveable size.  Put the tubers into salted water and bring to a boil. Turn the hob off and let the potatoes sit in the water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime heat a couple of spoonfuls of goose fat or olive oil in a preheated oven at 180ºC. Drain the water and with the lid on, shake the saucepan to bruise the potatoes – this gives a good surface for roasting. Désirée bash quite well, but I have found that some other potatoes require more time in boiling water. Use the roasting method you are used to!

potatoes in goose fat

Add the potatoes to the hot fat and roll them around to get them well coated.

pheasant

I recommend cooking a pheasant or chicken while you have the oven on – both go very well with ‘nduja roasted potatoes!

roast potatoes

Roast for an hour or so, basting or turning every 10 – 20 minutes for an even gold colour and crunchy texture.

‘nduja and rosemary

When the potatoes are nearly done, break up the ‘nduja into small chunks and add it to the pan, with a sprig or two of rosemary.

coated potatoes

Cook for another 20 minutes, turning the potatoes occasionally to coat them in the melted ‘nduja.

gravy

Mix a spoonfull of the ‘nduja (from the potatoes) into home made gravy. Save any remianing ‘nduja in the pan to mix with boiled potatoes (in place of butter) later in the week.

seasonal vegetables

Serve the pheasant and ‘nduja potatoes with seasonal vegetables and gravy. I recommend drinking a glass or two of Faisà ’18 with the roast, it’s an organic Merlot, from the Empordà region of Catalunya.