The recipe
Put a saucepan of water on to boil and find a colander or steamer basket that will sit comfortably over the water. Wipe or rinse 600g of new potatoes under running water, then put them in the steamer basket and cook over the boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Test them regularly with the point of skewer.
While the potatoes steam, peel and finely dice 1 medium banana shallot. Warm a little butter in a shallow pan and fry the shallot over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft and the palest golden brown. Finely chop 3 tbsp of parsley.
Remove the potatoes and crush each one lightly with the back of a spoon, just enough to split and allow a little steam to escape. Divide the potatoes between two plates then place about 150g of crème fraîche on top, letting it melt into the cracks and crevices of the broken potatoes. Spoon the hot shallots over the top, then add the parsley and 50g of very finely sliced ham, such as jamon Iberico or San Daniele.
The trick
The crème fraîche needs to melt and ooze into the potatoes, so dress them quickly, as soon as you have drained and crushed them. If the potatoes have cooled, then melt the crème fraîche in a shallow pan, add the cooked shallots and the parsley, and pour over the potatoes, tossing them gently in the sauce.
The twist
You can use small carrots for this, crushing them lightly as you would the potatoes, and spooning thick yogurt over the top in place of the crème fraîche. Cook the shallots a little longer, so they are deep brown and crisp, a better contrast to the sweetness of the carrots. Instead of the air-dried ham, tuck in pieces of bacon that you have grilled to a crisp and crumbled over the carrots.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@NigelSlater