According to Bord Bia, the competition is designed to increase the level of awareness among growers of what constitutes a good quality potato. It was also a family affair as family duos triumphed.

Husband and wife, Noel and Kathleen Higgins, received awards, coming in second and third place respectively, while mother and son, Margaret and Michael McGoldrick, also took home accolades.

It is estimated that a total of 9,800ha of potatoes are grown by approximately 540 growers in Ireland. The main variety grown in Ireland is Rooster, accounting for 60% of production, followed by Kerr’s Pink (8%), Queens (8%), Golden Wonder (2%), Records (1%) and others (21%).

The Irish Potato Federation’s website has a broad range of information on the crop, including delicious recipes, one of which is posted below:

Potato bites with egg and cheese

Ingredients

1kg of potatoes, peeled and shredded

3 eggs, beaten

80g grated cheddar cheese

1 finely chopped onion (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Season with salt and pepper or spices of your choice to taste

Method

The balls can be fried or oven baked. We suggest using a mini muffin tray to make individual bites, but bites can be fried in hot oil in a pan or wok.

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Grease a mini muffin tray (this recipe needs two trays).
  • After squeezing excess water from the shredded potatoes in a clean tea towel, place them in a bowl. Add the salt, garlic powder, onion and stir to combine.
  • Add eggs and grated cheese and combine.
  • Roll into balls between your hands and place into a muffin tray (or just spoon into a mini muffin tray) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops and edges begin to get crispy.
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