If you’ve been alive in the last week, you’ve no doubt heard of Susan Boyle. She comes from Scotland–Blackburn, West Lothian to be exact–and has taken the world (and YouTube) by storm with her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent in which the audience, dubious of her looks, her dress and her speaking style, got put in their place the second she started singing–by the end, they were electrified. Let’s go to the tape:
Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing – Watch more Funny Videos
The YouTube video of this (which is unembeddable) has been viewed 34 million times: Susan Boyle is an overnight sensation and it’s time somebody crafted a dish in her honor. Which is why I’m proud to present: Susan Boyled Potatoes.
What are they? Well, by the above photograph you’d think they were plain, ordinary, dismissible, unlovable boiled potatoes–much like the audience, on first seeing Susan, dismissed her as frumpy and plain.
But once you cut in? Prepare to be stunned:
That, Simon Cowell, is no ordinary potato: that potato is filled with a luxurious mixture of pancetta, garlic, wine and Gruyere cheese. It is, in other words, a Susan Boyled potato: seemingly plain on the outside but on the inside an embarrassment of riches.
So how do you make them?
Let me show you. You start with a few potatoes, I used Yukon golds.
You want to sort them so you choose equally sized, smallish potatoes: the ones on the left made the cut, the ones on the right were booted. “That was self-indulgent rubbish,” said Simon Cowell of the big potatoes. The potatoes hung their heads in shame.
As for the smallish ones (about the size of baseballs), you drop them into a big pot of boiling, salted water:
And you let them go for 20 to 30 minutes; just until you can pierce them easily with a knife.
While those are boiling, you start on the “stuffing” (which is more like a fondue-y sauce.) I based the recipe, in fact, on my friend Heidi’s recipe for Classic Cheese Fondue only I added bacon, red pepper flakes and parsley.
Here’s what you’ll need to work with: an inexpensive bottle of white wine (mine cost $5), garlic, parsley, pancetta (I use D’artagnan’s, but you can also just use good bacon) and, of course, Gruyere cheese. Heidi’s recipe calls for 1 lb, I used half a pound and halved the recipe.
Now Susan Boyle didn’t become Susan Boyle overnight: she had to work. And you too will have to work to make Susan Boyled Potatoes. To whit: you must chop the parsley (a good handful), you must mince one clove of garlic, you must cut one thick slice of pancetta into little lardons, you must pour out 1 cup of white wine, and you must grate that 1/2 lb of Gruyere cheese into a bowl and toss it with 2 – 3 Tbs of flour. Got that?
Now that you’re prepped, you’re ready to cook.
Take that pancetta and put it in a cold pot with just a splash of olive oil. Turn up the heat to medium and let it slowly render, so the fat comes out and the pancetta becomes crisp–3 to 4 minutes:
Once that bacon is rendered, add the minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it.) Be careful here: you don’t want the garlic to burn, so don’t have the heat too high and keep the wine handy to get to the next step quickly, just in case:
Once you smell the garlic, and before it browns, it’s time to add the wine. Do it!
Bring the wine to a simmer and then add your flour and cheese. Do it handful after handful, stirring all the while. It should look like this:
I found myself adding a little extra flour to thicken it up: this is the time to establish your filling’s texture. If you want it runny, let it be runny; if you want it a bit thicker, add a drop more flour. Stir and cook on a gentle, gentle heat (like a fondue) and, finally, add the parsley:
Now give that a taste: does it taste delicious? It should; about as delicious as hearing Susan Boyle sing!
Now for the tricky part. By now, you should have drained your potatoes and let them cool a little bit. Just before serving, you want to put a potato on the board:
You want to slice the top layer of it off the way Anthony Hopkins slices off the top of Ray Liotta’s head in “Hannibal.” Then you want to scoop out the middle part of the potato without breaking the outer parts, making a perfect little hole which you then immediately fill with the cheese sauce. See?
Let’s look a bit closer:
Look how it’s positively oozing with goodness. Now you want to put the cap back on, neaten it up, wipe off any drippy parts and create the illusion–just like Susan Boyle did–of this being just a plain Jane potato:
If you were served that plate, wouldn’t you “boo” too? Trick your family the way Susan Boyle tricked the world; put this plate before them and then let them cut in and suddenly encounter the sublime:
Let’s give Susan Boyle the last word.
Thanks Susan! Best of luck to you on “Britain’s Got Talent.”
oh, this is super cute. for some embarrassing reason susan boyle makes me cry. i like surprises!
So clever, loves it. Also, I am now obsessed with the song, “I dreamed a dream.” from Les Miserables..thanks Susan Boyle. haha
These look amazing! I’ve been living under a rock and just heard of Susan Boyle an hour ago– have been watching the video compulsively since then. Will be making these immediately.
Brilliant. I love the concept. Susan Boyle has created discussion on our TV as to talent and appearance. Which is more important, and are we now more accepting of talent as opposed to looks. In my experience looks over talent only ever applied to women. Elton John and Phil Collins are prime examples. They both have talent without the good looking gene expected of celebraties.
What an excellent headline and equally excellent surprise
Hi Adam,
What a great idea! Packing a surprising punch in an unassuming tater. A perfect tribute to Susan Boyle, who I hope goes on to great things with that amazing voice of hers.
I’m so glad this recipe turned out to be boyle’d potatoes instead of cabbage :-)
I love Susan Boyle–her courage, her voice…and the lessons she’s taught all of us.
Best. Post. Ever.
Awesome. I particularly like that you’re using potatoes. What could be plainer than a plate of boiled potatoes! Good job.
Your post is so brilliant. I love it. Way to go Susan. Beautiful potatoes.
Brilliant.
According to this article, she has passed 100 MILLION views”
http://www.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/9130/Susan-Boyle-Surpasses-100-Million-Views-in-Viral-Video
I’ve probably watched it 30 times, and cry every time. What an inspiration (and talent!) she is.
And what a clever recipe, Adam.
I still have chills from hearing her voice – brilliant.
Equally brilliant is this post… ‘”That was self-indulgent rubbish,” said Simon Cowell of the big potatoes. The potatoes hung their heads in shame.’ I giggled out loud. Then I reread it just so I could giggle again.
Looks delicious!!!
Adam, you’re killing me. This made me laugh out loud, an emotional outburst nearly as big as my teariness at the Susan Boyle video.
And I would eat these potatoes any day. Well, except for the flour.
Too funny. I may be a little sick of Susan at this point, but these potatoes look like they taste even better than she sounds.
This is the type of comment that can only be hazardous to a person’s attempt to maintain a healthy ego, but I have to tell you: Adam, you are a genius and I am jealous of the people who are your friends.
This post gave me a culinary lardon – good work AG!
Love, love, LOVE it!!!!! Fantastic looking dish and fantastic tribute to Susan Boyle!
I LOVED the dish, haha!! Its ingenious. Its yummy. Its pure goodness! Very clever title and a great tribute!
that video made me cry too! i’d heard about susan boyle but hadn’t watched the clip yet. the potatoes look excellent.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever…well, at least long enough to eat it. That’s fabulous darling!
BTW, I held out ALL WEEK and didn’t watch that video…until this past weekend. I cried like the baby I am! What a gal.
What a creative post! I loved it!
As for Susan Boyle, I think she has a great voice, but I don’t find her spectacular or anything. I think people were just surprised because she looked like she wouldn’t be a good singer!!!
Love your creativity. Never even would have occurred to me to make a recipe outta the whole Susan Boyle thing. Fun stuff :)
These look awesome!!
Delicious sounding potatoes!
Awesome!
Hysteical! My hubby and I have watched youtube numerous times and even my kids (3, 4) love it….and we are not ‘youtubers’. Speaking of tubers, you idea is fantastic!!
I almost half expected it to be haggis or some neeps inside! Yours really do hold up to your ‘Gourmet’ name. Delightful, sir!
i almost never get excited about potatoes, but those look fantastic.
Wow what great looking potatoes, and an awesome post. I can see a spate of post on the web like this now
Oh my lord you slay me with these…I literally gasped when the photo of the filling came up as I was scrolling down. Honestly, I could probably just dip the potatoes into that fondue and be totally happy!
I am “Boyled” over by your recipe, which just sings to me! This is even better than Condoleeza Rice pudding!!
P.S. PLEASE follow me on twitter! I am always replying to you and my husband says it is pathetic since you don’t even see it!! :) It’s like Ashton and CNN…we’ve made a big old bet about it!
Very clever Adam. I would love such a surprise in my potato! Where did you get this recipe?
Awesome idea! What an imaginative spin on current events and great food. I am going to HAVE to try to make this or at least a version of it.
Bravo!
Although they are not like Janet’s nipples.
And Susan made me cry.
Potatoes look amazing and what a lovely tribute to Susan Boyle. xxx
I was just as amazed and moved as anyone when I first saw the Susan Boyle youtube vid, though I am getting a bit tired of all the hoopla now. But this was a really lovely way to tie into Susan Boyle’s story. A great analogy for this recipe, which I can’t wait to try. It looks scrumptious!
This is so brilliant. Love the recipe, and have spent hours watching Susan, weeping the whole time.
I never comment (often lurk) but that Hannibal line is just TOO F*CKING FUNNY!!!
OMG, Adam. @EWPopWatch just tweeted about you. Awesome! Eager to trick people “like Susan Boyle tricked the world.”
Great post! Made my day (and I plan to make this for my kids this weekend).
Well, I’m just going to have to make these.
Awesome post, and awesome idea!