A new take on potatoes

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Potatoes are still seen as a traditional meal element. How can we get people to change the way they see and use potatoes? InZpire asked Gwen Rassemusse, recipe developer at S'cuizin in Paris.

The point is to give people something surprising and unexpected

Potatoes as a surprise element

'In my job, I try to find new ways to use potatoes. We tend to have trendy dishes in France, like the culinary hamburgers popular these days. I make the hamburger bun using coloured potatoes. The point is to give people something surprising and unexpected. To me, using potatoes in trendy dishes is a great way to change the way people view them.'

Potatoes as a conscious choice

'One of the latest food trends, which will play a role in the years to come, is using honest, regional products. People are making more conscious food choices and are starting to look at how products are made and where they come from.'

Potatoes as a healthy choice

'More and more people are following special diets, like gluten-free or vegetarian. Potatoes are perfect because they're so versatile. They can be prepared as a main course or used as binding agent or flour substitute when making a cake. I have a recipe for delicious chocolate muffins made from potatoes.'

“Potatoes are perfect
for people with
gluten-free or
vegetarian diets”

Making potatoes more practical

'In my opinion, the potato industry can stimulate the use of potatoes by focusing on their practicality. The fact that you have to peel potatoes and that they take a long time to cook is seen as a disadvantage. Developing smart products can make preparing potatoes even easier. Instead of being seen purely as an end product, potatoes should be seen as an ingredient.'

Making potatoes more fun

'Vegetable varieties in different coloured such as carrots, beets, and radishes are extremely popular. However, coloured potatoes are relatively unknown. While consumers find them attractive, they aren't widely available.

I like to compare coloured potatoes to a child who has only ever used a grey pencil and is suddenly given a box of beautiful colouring pencils! Coloured potatoes add an extra dimension to dishes thanks to the colour, the taste, and the texture. My favourite is the two-toned potato. The result is always different depending on how you cut them. It's fantastic!'

Potatoes as a budget-friendly choice

'Finally, I've noticed that more people want budget recipes. Potatoes are perfect for this! By getting creative, you can make affordable and extremely healthy food.’

Would you like to find out what inspires Gwen Rassemusse to create new recipes? Read more >

Inspiration

We asked Gwen Rassemusse what inspires her to create new recipes. 'I find inspiration in everything, but there are three important elements in the process. The first is reading magazines and blogs. I do a lot of reading, as this often gives me new ideas. The second is tasting products.'

Sometimes it's at the supermarket or in restaurants, and sometimes it's at one of my suppliers' locations. The third is trial and error. This often means simply trying things out, which involves a good dose of luck.'

More information about Gwen Rassemusse's work: www.scuiz.fr

HZPC & recipe development

S'cuizin regularly develops recipes for new HZPC potato varieties. Gwen Rassemusse's culinary application is used to market these new varieties. This is particularly true of special varieties, such as the coloured Perupas.

www.perupas.com

More information about Gwen Rassemusse's work