Nottingham Potatoes

2 lbs. small red potatoes

2 cans of beef or chicken broth

                       You can also use bouillon cubes

¼ tsp. of white pepper

&

A mallet...of some sort!

This recipe belongs to my British father.  Obviously it's a Brit recipe, hence the “Nottingham” title and just in case the flag didn’t tip you off.  He is originally from England but he titled this recipe after a pub stop he made in Nottingham while there on an extended layover.  My father is a retired pilot but in his glory days, which have never actually ended, he traveled to some very interesting places and experienced some fascinating cuisine.  He is a lavish story teller and quite possibly Austin Powers’ stunt double yet he is a brilliant and quirky fellow that never manages to say anything uninteresting.  When he stumbled upon this recipe he ended up with more than just an acquired taste for warm beer but a pub crawler’s potato recipe worth more in flavor than the cost of a few measly pints.  He always manages to do his best work after a pint, or two.     

Now I am not trying to fool you into believing that this recipe is fascinating or “cuisine” but it does do the trick when it comes to searching for a delicious, cheap and easy side dish.  Regardless of how absurd  the method used to make this recipe may seem, it is quite good.  Unfortunately, the exercise you will get from cracking open the potatoes is pretty minimal so you will need to find another way to burn off some extra calories and rid yourself of that stubborn Preggers 15. 

When I asked my father what you should use to crack the potatoes open he said, “use a rolling pin”.  Honestly, who has a rolling pin anymore?  Obviously that comment in itself ages this recipe.  "It's donkey's years old" he confirms, apparently referring to how old the recipe is in comparison to how long a donkey lives.  So when I asked him what was the next best thing to use he said, “the back end of a wine bottle”.  I did mention that he was quirky right?  That is a dreadful suggestion!  So please, for heaven’s sake, do not use the back end of a wine bottle.  This tip may have been lost in translation after a few of those pints. 

I use the back side of my can opener.  It is amazing the extra use you can get out of ordinary kitchen utensils.  Not to mention the release of any pent up anger and frustration you get by cracking these little taters open.  They don’t need to be smashed just a little crack to allow the broth flavor to seep inside.  Once cracked, dump the potatoes into a pot on the stove, pour the broth over the top and add your seasoning.  Most canned broths or bouillon cubes are just loaded with salt so skip adding any additional salt to this dish.  Just boil the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork or knife.  Cheers Mum, now go and have yourself a pint.