Poppy O'Toole swaps sad tortilla chips for crispy spuds in her nacho makeover

Independent

12-03-2025

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'A nacho dish… without the nachos. Hear me out, though,' says chef and chief potato recipe gal Poppy O'Toole.
'Sometimes I find with nachos that the toppings are insanely good, but then you dig a lil' deeper and are faced with those sad, bland tortilla crisps that no amount of cheese can save.
'I've rectified that. Say goodbye to the crisps and hello to golden, crunchy, smashed potatoes.' Smashed potato nachos
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1.2kg Maris Piper potatoes, halved (no need to peel)
Salt and black pepper
For the spiced oil:
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tbsp olive oil
For the pickled red onions:
1 red onion, finely sliced
Juice of 3-4 limes
Pinch of caster sugar
To serve and garnish:
1 ripe avocado
½ red onion, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime
Small bunch of coriander, leaves finely chopped
3 slices of American processed cheese
Splash of whole milk, or as needed
Sour cream
Sliced pickled jalapeños
Sliced red chilli
Sliced spring onions
Method:
An entire book dedicated to the world's greatest carb? Finally (Bloomsbury)
1. Get your potatoes into a saucepan of heavily salted, cold water. Place the pan over a high heat and bring the water to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave on a gentle boil for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes fall off the tip of a knife.
2. Drain in a colander. Place the colander over the pan on the turned-off hob and leave to steam-dry with a tea towel over the top for five to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6. On a large baking tray, space out the potatoes and use the bottom of a jar or tin to press them down and crush them so they have lots of edges to go crispy.
4. To make the spiced oil, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic granules and a big pinch each of salt and pepper with the olive oil. Use some of this to brush all over the potatoes, then roast them in the oven for 30-40 minutes, before flipping them over, brushing with a little more spiced oil, and roasting for 15-20 minutes more, until the spiced oil has turned a dark red and the potatoes are cooked and crispy.
5. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the pickled red onions (you want just enough lime juice to cover them) and leave them to soften and infuse for at least 10 minutes, then set aside.
6. De-stone the avocado and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Smash the avocado with a fork and mix through the red onion, lime juice and chopped coriander. Season well with salt and pepper.
7. In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave the American cheese slices with the splash of milk, on full power in 30-second bursts. Stir after each burst, until the cheese has melted to a sauce. Add in a bit more milk if it is a little thick.
8. Layer up the potatoes with the pickled onions, dollops of guacamole and sour cream, and a few jalapeño and chilli slices, then drizzle with the cheese sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of spring onions.
Recipe from 'The Potato Book' by Poppy Cooks (Bloomsbury, £22).