Loaded Ultimate Chips

Mac
Servings

5

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Cuisine

Other or Fusion

Category

Dinner

A sharing plate of crispy seasoned wedges piled with smoky black beans, a creamy homemade cheese sauce, and all the bright, zingy toppings. It’s low effort and a little skill, and it comes out like something you’d be happy to see in a restaurant. The clever bit is the cheese sauce: a proper béchamel rather than just cheese melted on top, so it’s creamy and actually clings to the wedges. Put the wedges in first and the sauce and beans get made while they roast. Set it in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.

Ingredients

    Fresh & Mains

    • 1.2kg potatoes, skin on, cut into thick wedges
    • 200g mature cheddar, grated
    • 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 red onion, thinly sliced

    Pantry Staples

    • 2 tsp Spice Masters Ultimate Chip Seasoning
    • 4 tbsp olive oil
    • 25g butter
    • 25g plain flour (equal weight to the butter)
    • About 300ml milk (you may need a little more, see method)
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 100ml vegetable stock
    • 100ml white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp English mustard (or Dijon)
    • 1/2 lemon
    • Salt and black pepper

    For garnish & serving

    • Pickled jalapeños
    • A few spring onions, sliced
    • A handful of fresh coriander (or parsley)
    • Soured cream, to finish

    Directions

    1. Quick-pickle the onion: Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with the vinegar and sugar, and leave it to pickle while you get on with everything else. It just needs about 20 minutes to turn sharp and bright pink. You can make it any time: it keeps in the fridge for up to five days and is handy for other dishes too.
    2. Season and roast the wedges: Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Toss the wedges with the olive oil and Ultimate Chip Blend until coated, spread them out flat in a single layer on a large tray, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway so they crisp all over rather than just underneath. Getting them in first buys you time to make the sauce and beans while they cook.
    3. Start the cheese sauce (hot roux, cold milk): Melt the butter in a small pan, then stir in the flour. Cook it out for about 2 minutes: you’re splitting the starch and gluten in the flour so it can take the milk without going lumpy. It won’t change colour much, but it stops looking glossy and starts to grip the pan a little. Don’t let it brown.
    4. Add the milk slowly: Keep the heat gentle (milk’s sugars and the starch catch and burn if it’s too hot) and add the cold milk a splash at a time, letting each addition work in smooth before the next. Take your time, as the wedges give you a good 25 minutes. You’re after a drizzling consistency that draws a clear line on the back of a spoon without running off. You may need a little more milk than stated, as flour varies, so go by feel. If it does go lumpy, a quick blitz with a stick blender brings it back.
    5. Finish the sauce: Stir in the mustard and two-thirds of the cheddar until melted and smooth. Season, and set aside. It only needs to stay warm, and it will thicken as it sits (that’s fine, it goes back in the oven later).
    6. Warm the beans: In a separate pan over medium heat, warm the black beans with the cumin and smoked paprika, then add the stock. It helps cook the spices out and keeps them from catching. Simmer 6 to 7 minutes until most of the stock has evaporated and the beans are glossy and coated. Finish with a squeeze of lemon for a bit of zing, and set aside.
    7. Load them up: Spoon over the smoky beans, scatter with the remaining cheddar and pour over the cheese sauce (it doesn’t matter if it’s cooled, it’s going back in the oven). Back in for about 5 minutes, until melted, bubbling and lightly browned.
    8. Finish and serve: Top with the pickled onion, jalapeños, spring onions and coriander, and finish with a good drizzle of soured cream. Set it in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.

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