Potatoes – po nelsońsku

• Po nelsońsku  –  in Lord Nelson’s style –  is when mushrooms and soured cream are added to the sauce. (I have not been able to discover why this name is used.)
• In the traditional version of this dish, dried mushrooms are used and are soaked overnight.
• I have also made a version with dried and fresh mushrooms.
• Floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper are the best for this dish.
• Packets of dried mushroom in England tend to be 25g or 30g and I have used a full packet for the recipe (you can use more).
• The best dried mushrooms are Boletus edulis, in Poland they are called borowik or prawdzik, in Italy porcini.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of floury potatoes
• 10 -15g of dried mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 60ml of soured cream
• 250 ml of milk for soaking the mushrooms & 125ml (or more) for the sauce
• 100g of butter for frying the onions & the sauce
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain flour
• Salt & pepper

 

Method

• Start the night before by preparing the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms in a jug or bowl and add around 250ml of boiling water. When this has cooled add around 250ml of milk.
• Leave the mushrooms overnight.
• Alternately you could start this very early in the morning and make the dish in the evening.
• Boil the potatoes till nearly cooked and leave them to cool.
• Slice the potatoes into around 2cm thick slices.
• Strain the mushrooms from most of the liquor – saving this for the sauce.
• You can chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces if you want.
• Gently simmer the mushrooms in a little of the liquor for about 5 minutes.
• Make a sauce by first melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stir together with a wooden spoon and gently cook until you have a thick roux.
• Slowly add the liquor from the soaked mushrooms and mix and heat till you have a thick sauce.
• Add more milk if needed – you want a very thin pouring sauce.
• Then add the soured cream and mix together.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM 4 – 180°C

 

 

• Halve the onions and thinly slice and then fry them till golden in some butter.
• Butter a deepish ovenproof glass or ceramic dish.
• Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom followed by the onions, then the mushrooms, some of the sauce and finish with a top layer of potatoes.

 

• Season with salt and pepper as you go along.
• Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.
• Depending on the size and depth of the dish you could have more layers but always start and finsh with potatoes.
• Bake in the oven for at least an hour (You can lower the temperature and leave to cook for much longer).
• This goes well served with roast chicken or pork.

 

Served on Royal Doulton – Tapestry  1966 – 1988

Ingredients – Version 2

This has fewer dried mushrooms & fresh mushrooms are added.

• 1 kg of floury potatoes
• 10g of dried mushrooms
• 100 – 150g of  fresh mushrooms (chestnut type are good)
• 250 ml of milk for soaking the mushrooms & 125ml (or more) for the sauce
• 100g of butter for frying the onions, mushrooms & the sauce
• 2 onions
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain flour
• 60ml of soured cream
• Salt & pepper

Method – Version 2

• Start the night before by preparing the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms in a jug or bowl and add around 250ml of boiling water. When this has cooled add around 250ml of milk.
• Leave the mushrooms overnight.
• Alternately you could start this very early in the morning and make the dish in the evening.
• Boil the potatoes till nearly cooked and leave them to cool.
• Slice the potatoes into around 2cm thick slices.
• Strain the mushrooms from most of the liquor – saving this for the sauce.
• You can chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces if you want.
• Gently simmer the re-constituted mushrooms in a little of the liquor for about 5 minutes.
• Thinly slice the fresh mushroom caps and fry them gently in butter.

• Mix the two types of mushrooms together.
• Make a sauce by first melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stir together with a wooden spoon and gently cook until you have a thick roux.
• Slowly add the liquor from the soaked mushrooms and mix and heat till you have a thick sauce.
• Add more milk if needed – you want a very thin pouring sauce.
• Then add the soured cream and mix together.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM 4 – 180°C
• Halve the onions and thinly slice and then fry them till golden in some butter.
• Butter a deepish ovenproof glass or ceramic dish.
• Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom followed by the onions, then the mushrooms, some of the sauce and finish with a top layer of potatoes.
• Season with salt and pepper as you go along.
• Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.
• Depending on the size and depth of the dish you could have more layers but always start and finsh with potatoes.
• Bake in the oven for at least an hour (You can lower the temperature and leave to cook for much longer).
• This goes well served with roast chicken or pork.

Version 3 – Less Expensive & Quicker

• In Poland there are mushroom stock cubes which are very useful especially for making sauces.
• Years ago I brought loads back to England, now you can find these in the many Polish food shops.
• The ones I use are made by Knorr.  These stock cubes contain a small amount of dried mushroom extract.

 

• Dissolve the stock cube im 250ml of  hot water, when this has cooled add around 250ml of milk.
• Increase the amount of fresh mushrooms to 150 – 200g.
• Follow the instructions as  for Version 2.