How to make Jersey royals with chorizo and wilted spinach

As pommes de terre go, the Jersey Royal is elegant, refined and with such poise that it surely deserves its regal tag – plus they taste good, says Julia Platt Leonard

Photography by Julia Platt Leonard

Next time you tuck into a Jersey Royal, say a word of thanks for Hugh de la Haye. He’s the man credited with innovating the variety in around 1880 by fluke. He cut up two big potatoes that had presented more than a dozen ”eyes” – from which others could be grown – and planted them. The thin-skinned, kidney shaped Jersey Royal was born.

It was called Jersey Fluke until towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Only grown on the Channel island that gives it its name the Jersey Royal, is so special it was granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status in 1996.

Each year the first potatoes are planted on steep south facing slopes called cotils.

The island’s harvest averages around 35,000 tonnes per year but that number will likely be down this year due to heavy rains and sub-zero temperatures in February.

Jersey royals only need a light wash and they’re ready to be cooked. Never peel them.

But do enjoy them while they’re in season because there’s nothing humble about this spud.

Ras-el-hanout is a North African spice mixture – that includes dried peppers, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, rosebuds – which adds warmth to the potatoes but if you don’t have it, you can skip this ingredient.

(Julia Platt Leonard)

Jersey royals with chorizo and wilted spinach

Serves 4-5

500g Jersey Royals
1 bunch spinach, about 200g
3 links cooking chorizo, about 140g-150g 
50g black olives with pits
1 tsp ras-el-hanuut spice mixture
Lemon juice and lemon wedges

Gently wash the potatoes but don’t peel them. If they’re small, leave them whole but if larger, slice into chunks. Place the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until you can insert a knife into the potatoes.

While the potatoes are cooking, wash the spinach thoroughly and remove and discard the thick stems. Spin the leaves, leaving a bit of the water on the leaves. Pit the olives and discard the pits.

Dice the chorizo and cook in a frying pan over medium heat. Drain off the grease but reserve. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander. Add the ras-el-hanout spice mixture to the chorizo and add back a tablespoon of the chorizo fat.

If you don’t have enough, top up with olive oil. Stir the ras-el-hanout before adding the potatoes. Coat the potatoes in the spiced oil and turn up the heat to crisp the them.

At the last minute, add the spinach and stir to wilt the leaves. Stir in the olives. Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed. Both the chorizo and olives are salty so you probably won’t need to season with additional salt. Serve warm with extra lemon wedges.

@juliapleonard