A matter of taste: Ayrshire potatoes

THE potato, a member of the deadly nightshade family (like tomatoes and aubergines), was looked on with great suspicion when Sir Walter Raleigh first brought it to Britain from Virginia. But he planted the tuber on his estate in Ireland, where the growing conditions were perfect, and the Irish were soon planting and consuming vast quantities all over the Emerald Isle.

Potatoes, as the Incas knew for thousands of years, supply complex carbohydrates and a small amount of protein. They are rich in vitamin C and iron, potassium and magnesium and supply most of the vital nutrients.

It took some time for the potato to rise from simple peasant food to haute cuisine, but by the time the Larousse Gastronomique was first published (1938), there were dozens of classic French recipes for potatoes.

This is the time of year to get new potatoes or, more correctly, early potatoes. The best of the best, Epicure, come from Ayrshire – a variety with white skin, creamy flesh and delicious flavour. If you get some of these gems, still fresh from the ground, wash them or rub the skins off, boil in salted water until just tender and serve with lashings of butter and chopped chives or mint.