Recipe: Salt-crusted new potatoes with spiced tomato sauce and aioli

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Black Pepper
• 1.2kg new potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 tbsp sea salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 - 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 150 ml vegetable oil
• 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 50g watercress leaves, finely chopped

Method:

1. Warm 30ml of extra virgin olive oil in a small pan on medium heat, then gently fry the onion, seasoning generously with salt, for six to eight minutes, until soft. Add 2 cloves of garlic, cook for a few minutes more, until fragrant, then stir in the paprika and cinnamon, and cook for a minute more. Add the tinned tomatoes, simmer for 20 minutes, then season to taste.
2. Meanwhile, put the potatoes and sea salt in a large, wide pan and add enough cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain, leaving the potatoes in the pan, return to low heat, and continue to cook gently, turning occasionally, until a layer of salt forms over them.
3. While the tomatoes are simmering and the potatoes boiling, make the aïoli. Put 2 cloves of garlic in a tall jug with the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and several large pinches of salt. Blitz with a hand blender for 30 seconds, then, with the blender still going, slowly add 150ml of olive oil. Once you have added all the olive oil, pour in the vegetable oil, until combined. Stir in the watercress, blitz again briefly, then taste and add more lemon juice or salt, if needed. Serve the salt-crusted potatoes alongside the warm tomato sauce and the delicious aïoli.

Recipe adapted from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/apr/26/salt-crusted-jersey-royals-spiced-tomato-sauce-watercress-aioli-recipe-thomasina-miers