Celebrating the Potato
Did you know that the World Potato Congress is coming to Dublin on May 30th? Running until June 2nd, it will bring over 1,000 of the world’s top potato growers and suppliers to Ireland to strategise on the future of the potato industry. Here at Bord Bia we are big fans of the nation’s favourite vegetable, and our Eat Well Garden and Kitchen at Bloom is dedicated to celebrating the best of Irish potatoes. PÁDRAIC ÓG GALLAGHER shares some insight into why potatoes are so good for you.
Pádraic Óg Gallagher, the chef, craft brewer, and proprietor of Gallagher’s Boxty House, is passionate about potatoes. Together with his friend, chef and TU Dublin lecturer, Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, he will be extolling the benefits of potatoes in the Eat Well Kitchen at Bord Bia Bloom on Thursday, 2nd June.
Pádraic Óg Gallagher
The pair will demonstrate how to create traditional Irish potato dishes, such as boxty and colcannon, using ingredients sourced from the Eat Well Garden, and will share some fascinating facts about the role of the potato in Irish culture and cuisine. ‘Máirtín might even break into song!’ jokes Pádraic Óg.
While the demonstrations will be a fun ode to the nation’s favourite vegetable, potatoes have serious benefits. ‘Potatoes are a complex carbohydrate, making them very different from ingredients like pasta which converts to sugar within 30-40 minutes. They are full of vitamins, contain more potassium than a banana, and they are so versatile. There is no shortage of things you can do with them,’ says Pádraic Óg.
Gallagher’s Boxty House’s Chicken Boxty with Bacon Lardons & Buttermilk Fried Leeks
This ranges from innovative dishes such as boxty with strawberries to family favourites like a simple bowl of wedges. ‘These are a great, healthy alternative to chips.’ You can find a recipe here.
See Pádraic Óg Gallagher and Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire at the Eat Well Garden and Kitchen at Bord Bia Bloom on June 2nd and find more tasty potato recipes here.
