Buttery Fondant Original Rooster Potatoes Cooked in Lager
Albert Bartlett
6 medium to large Albert Bartlett Original Rooster potatoes 200g cold unsalted butter 1 can of lager Sprigs of rosemary 2 pinches of sea salt
Preheat the oven to 150 C / gas mark 2 ; set the shelf to the middle of the oven . Peel the potatoes ; cut them into thick rounds after trimming off the ends .
Cut the butter into 1cm-thick slices and line the bottom of a heavy-bottomed ovenproof dish ( one that can also be used on a stove top ) with a single layer of the butter . Push the potato rounds into the butter and pour all of the lager over and around the potatoes . Add the rosemary sprigs to the dish and sprinkle with a little sea salt .
Place the dish over a medium-high heat and allow the butter to melt . Cook gently for 7-8 minutes , until all of the lager has evaporated . The potatoes should have started to soften and the bottom of the potatoes should be lightly and evenly caramelised , with the remaining butter clear and nutty .
Carefully place the potato dish into the oven ; slowly bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when tested with a sharp knife tip . Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes , allowing any lager-flavoured butter to be absorbed into the potatoes .
Serve the potatoes glazed side up and sprinkled with a little more sea salt . Serve warm , but not too warm ! Makes 4 servings . Recipe created for Albert Bartlett by Stevie McLaughlin , head chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie