Spiced spinach and potatoes

• River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall. Bloomsbury, £25

Serves four
400g waxy or new potatoes
400g spinach, stripped of any coarse stems
2tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1tsp freshly grated ginger
2tsp garam masala
2-3tbsp double cream or coconut cream (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Halve or quarter larger potatoes so that all the pieces are roughly the same size. Put into a saucepan, cover with water, add salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for eight to 12 minutes, until tender.

Drain. (You can use leftover cooked potatoes for this dish too.) Wash the spinach thoroughly, then pack it, with just the water that clings to it, into a saucepan.

Cover and put over a medium heat until the spinach has wilted in its own liquid – just a few minutes. Drain and leave in a colander until cool enough to handle, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands. Chop the spinach roughly.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently sweat the onion for ten minutes or so, until soft.

Add the garlic, chilli, ginger and garam masala.

Cook for a couple of minutes more, then thickly slice the potatoes into the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the chopped spinach and cook briefly to warm through.

The dish is lovely like this, or you can make it a little richer and more luxurious by stirring in the double cream or coconut cream with the spinach.

Either way, season with salt and pepper, and serve.