Fondant potatoes

Smooth potatoes such as Desiree

Spread, butter or oil

Chicken or vegetable stock

Pepper for seasoning

Peeler, vegetable knife, chopping board, small saucepan, oven-proof pan or dish.

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
2. Choose small or medium, even sized potatoes.
3. Wash, peel and rewash the potatoes.
4. Turn into 8-sided barrel shapes, about 5cm long and 2.5cm across in the centre, deducing to 1.5cm at each end.
5. Prepare enough barrels for 2-3 per person.
6. Gently melt the spread or butter in a saucepan or the microwave.
7. Brush potatoes with melted spread/butter or oil and place in a pan suitable for the oven.
8. Half cover with stock and season with pepper.
9. Cook in a hot oven for about 1 hour, brushing the potatoes frequently with melted spread/butter or oil.
10. When cooked the stock should be completely absorbed by the potatoes.
11. Brush with melted spread/butter or oil.

• Serve lightly sprinkled with thyme, rosemary, oregano, or grated cheese.

Why not use the Explore Food calculator, the British Nutrition Foundation's free online nutritional analysis programme, to calculate the nutritional information for this and other Food - a fact of life recipes?