Londo is a small wine bar in Papanui, Ōtautahi Christchurch, just outside the CBD: its name is derived from an old English word meaning a land or territory. 

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They serve interesting natural wines and a simple menu of dishes that could be sides or could be mains or maybe could just be a snack but which cross genres and cuisines. We like it a lot. 

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This recipe as a base is vegetarian and works as a single dish, but would be a great accompaniment to any type of fish or white poultry. For that reason, we haven’t specified how many potatoes you’ll need! 

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Urenika Potato and Sichuan Lemon Butter Sauce

Urenika potatoes

Agria potatoes

20g kombu 

100g vegetable trimmings 

300ml water

250g diced butter 

Pinch xanthan gum 

2 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground

1 lemon, zest and juice

Flaky salt and truffle oil, to taste

Handful fresh herbs

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What to do

Potatoes
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1. Blanch some Urenikas in boiling salted water until you can comfortably press a toothpick or skewer into the centre. Drain and leave to cool on a wire rack. 

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2. Once cool, fry them in clean, neutral oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season liberally with flaky salt. 

Sauce ‍

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3. To make a simple vegetable-based dashi, combine the kombu, any vegetable trimmings you have lying around and the 300ml water in a pot. Simmer until it is full of flavour. Strain, place liquid back in the pot and bring to a boil.

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4. In a blender, combine the diced butter with a pinch of xanthan gum.

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5. Add 250ml of the boiling dashi to the butter and xanthan mixture and blend until it is emulsified. Place back in the pot over a low heat and, whisking constantly, season the emulsion with the combined ground Sichuan peppercorns, lemon juice, zest, truffle oil and salt.

Crisps

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6. Slice some washed Agria potatoes very thinly and fry them (immediately, so they don’t oxidise) until golden. 

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7. Take off the heat and, once they stop bubbling, drain and place to dry and cool down on paper towels. Season liberally with flaky salt. 

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8. To assemble, place the Urenika potatoes around the plate, sauce generously, then garnish with the crisps and fresh herbs.

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