The Secret to Creamy Potatoes Isn’t Cream.. "Potato Carbonara"
It’s eggs, cheese, hot potato water, and a little patience, tossed with golden potatoes and crispy pancetta.
Do you remember the joke that the Italian chef Gino D’Acampo made on the British TV show This Morning? When the presenter tried the macaroni and cheese he had prepared as a demonstration, she said, “If it had ham in it, it would be closer to British carbonara.” Gino was taken aback and retorted, “If my grandmother had wheels, she would be a bike!” This just goes to show that carbonara sauce is sacred to Italians – it can’t be cooked using the same technique as macaroni and cheese. If it’s cooked with cream, mushrooms and ham, it’s no longer carbonara. The simple combination of eggs whisked with grated cheese creates a glossy, creamy sauce when mixed with freshly cooked pasta off the heat.
Today, however, I wanted to try making carbonara sauce with something other than pasta – potatoes. I thought the starch in the water would have a similar effect, in case I needed to thin the sauce down. It worked really well – this is the kind of simple yet rich and unexpected dinner that feels special.
Don’t forget to turn off the heat before adding the sauce! This allows the carbonara mixture (eggs and cheese) to work its magic over the hot potatoes without scrambling.
Enjoy the cooking!
Lots of love, Sophie xx
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
2 lb (900 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt, for boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 oz (225 g) bacon or pancetta, chopped
1 garlic clove, lightly smashed, optional
For carbonara Sauce:
3 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1 cup (90 g) freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon salt, only if needed
1 cup (250 ml) hot potato cooking water – plus more if needed
For Serving:
Extra Parmesan, optional
Fresh parsley or basil, optional
More black pepper
Kitchen utensils: a large pot, a large skillet, a whisk or a fork, a bowl, a chopping board, a knife, a spatula or a wooden spoon, a cheese grater.
Method:
Place 2lb (900 g) of peeled potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, which should take about 12–15 minutes.
Before draining them, reserve 1 cup (240ml) of the cooking water. Drain the potatoes thoroughly.
While the potatoes are cooking, chop 8 oz (225 g) of bacon or pancetta, then add it to a large skillet. Cook over a medium heat until golden and crispy.
Slightly crush 1 garlic clove and add it to the bacon. Cook for half a minute, then remove.