Give Me Five: Potato galette with pink peppercorns and fennel

I’m always looking for new ways to serve potatoes, especially ones that involve leaving the skins on. Peeling potatoes is one of my least favourite kitchen jobs. The beauty of the humble spud is that it’s so versatile and can be cooked in so many different ways. Potatoes are a great source of nutrients, especially with the vitamin-rich skins still on. They’re fat-free and a great source of fibre and potassium. Even locally grown organic potatoes are relatively cheap. And they’re real fast food: a tray of wedges cooks in just half an hour.

I’ve been making this galette for dinner lately. It’s so quick and simple and doesn’t have any of the cheese or cream that a gratin would have, making it a lighter, healthier option. Feel free to add a handful of grated Gruyère or crumble some raw chorizo in between the layers; the chorizo’s sweet paprika flavours will permeate the potato slices. It’s a lovely main course and can be made even more substantial by adding thin slices of sweet potato, leek or sliced fennel bulb.

For this recipe I’ve added crushed fennel seeds and pink peppercorns for flavour and colour. The little flecks of pink are beautiful. Pink peppercorns are the dried berries from the Peruvian or Brazilian pepper tree. They resemble peppercorns and also have a subtly peppery taste. (A word of warning: they are members of the cashew family, so avoid them if you have a nut allergies.) They’re great for seafood and chocolate recipes too.

I’ve chosen fennel seeds here, but caraway is also lovely. Or you could opt for the more traditional thyme with slivers of garlic, making sure the garlic is tucked between the layers so it doesn’t burn. This galette reheats well. Just place any leftovers in a snug-fitting dish, pour a little milk or cream over the top, scatter over some grated cheese and heat until piping hot. I serve this with a big salad, spinach or kale.

Other seasonal sides could be broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli. I love to lightly steam broccoli, then dress it in melted butter, crushed garlic and a few dried chili flakes. It makes broccoli taste even better. I add a little honey and butter to the water when boiling carrots or a few star anise for a really delicious aniseed flavour that works really well with the naturally sweet carrots. Cauliflower puree tastes fantastic with a little coconut milk and a pinch of garam masala, and it’s a nice break from the usual cauliflower cheese option.

There are so many ways to make more of our seasonal vegetables and to appreciate them cooked simply. New-season potatoes won’t be available until May. I like to make dishes such as this in winter. In summer, I just boil the new potatoes and dress them with a little butter. Butter is the crowning glory of most vegetable dishes. It’s a natural food and a great way to get children to eat vegetables. I’d rather see kids eating buttery potatoes than deep-fried chips.

POTATO AND ONION GALETTE: SERVES 4-6

The five ingredients

• 850g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 100g butter, melted
• ½tsp fennel seeds
• ½tsp pink peppercorns

From the pantry

• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a 28cm springform ring, without the base, on to a buttered baking tray.

Slice the potatoes thinly on a mandoline or food processor; no need to peel them. Set aside in a large bowl. Peel and slice the onion thinly and add to the bowl. Crush the fennel seeds and pink peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Scatter over the potato with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Pour over the melted butter and toss to coat all of the potato.

Arrange the potato mix in layers inside the ring on the baking tray. Finish with a layer of potato, tucking the onion underneath so it won’t burn. Remove the ring carefully.

Bake until the potatoes are tender (about 45 minutes). The top and sides will be crisp and golden. Run a spatula underneath the galette to remove it from the tray or just slice and serve it from the tray. Serve with a green salad.

• Every Thursday, we'll tweet the five ingredients from @lillyhiggins and @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes