The sauce is warm but not fiery, with the flavour of the tomatoes and herbs in the foreground, and the potatoes are robust and flavourful. If there is a glut of tomatoes, then they can be used instead of tinned. Blitzing the tomatoes before they are cooked is inspired because it really improved the sauce’s texture. This recipe works well with both large and new potatoes, but we don’t skin the latter. The sauce freezes well, and could also be used as a basis for a pasta dish.

Potatoes:

750g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 cm cubes, or same amount of new potatoes skin on

salt and pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce;

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp very finely chopped rosemary

2 fresh bay leaves

2 sprigs of lemon thyme, stalks removed and finely chopped

2 dried chillis, crumbled - we use Mexican de Arbols

2 tbsp red wine

1 tbsp marsala (or red wine if you don’t have it)

400g can tin of plum tomatoes, blitzed until smooth or equivalent of really ripe fresh toms

half teasp caster sugar

half teasp smoked paprika

salt and pepper

To serve:

Yogurt or salty cheese

Salad leaves

• Turn the oven on to 200c. Place a shallow baking tray in the oven

• Parboil the potatoes until they are just soft – about 7-8 minutes. Drain and return to the pan, put the lid on and give a brief shake to roughen the potatoes’ edges. Put a low heat under the pan and stir in the extra virgin olive oil . Spread potatoes over the baking tray and roast. Keep an eye on them, turning every few minutes until golden brown on all sides. This is likely to take 25 -30 minutes. Once cooked, place in either four small serving dishes, or one large one and keep warm

• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan and add the fresh herbs and chillies until you begin to smell the herbs. Don't let them burn. Add the wine and masala to deglaze for 30 seconds then add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and sugar. Cook over a medium to high heat with the lid slightly ajar for 20 minutes. You want to reduce it so that it becomes a fairly thick sauce. Remove the bay leaves

• Cover the potatoes with the sauce, and serve with a dollop of yogurt/cheese and some salad and or other tapas dishes