In a world of low-carb diets it seems almost a sin to feature the humble potato. But someone has to sing the praises of what is still the nation's favourite, not to mention most versatile, vegetable.

Potato and onion fry up

This is without doubt the most delicious way of using up yesterday's boiled potatoes. For the meat eaters in your house this is simply wonderful with slices of cold roast beef.

Serves 2-3

floury potatoes - 500g

onions - 2 medium

garlic - 2 large cloves

olive oil

parsley, a small bunch

Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Boil in deep, salted water till tender then drain them. Meanwhile peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm a little oil in a frying pan or shallow pan and cook the onion till pale gold in colour and almost tender. Add the crushed garlic and the potatoes and continue cooking till they are crusty and golden, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Remove the parsley leaves from the stalks and chop them, stirring them into the potatoes just before serving.

Potatoes with dill and vegetable stock

This is a great stand-alone dish but if you have visiting carnivores it will also flatter a piece of meat or fish such as grilled mackerel, flash-fried lamb's liver or some thick bacon rashers.

Serves 4 as a side dish

large baking potatoes - 2 large

hot stock - 500ml

dill - several bushy sprigs

butter - large knob

Set the oven at 200°C/gas 6. Scrub the potatoes, peeling them only if you particularly wish to, then slice them thinly. Put them into a bowl and toss them with salt, black pepper and a generous handful of dill leaves, roughly chopped. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish. Layer the potatoes and their seasonings in the dish then pour in enough stock to cover; the liquid should be just lapping at the top of the potatoes. Bake for about 50 minutes till the potato slices are truly tender and crusty on top.

Crushed potatoes with cream and garlic

I keep finding rather less-than-exciting 'new' potatoes in my shopping bag. This is a way to perk them up. For meat eaters this makes a rather sumptuous accompaniment for either slices of cold roast meat or maybe something from the grill - a pair of sweet little chops perhaps.

Serves 4 as a side dish

new potatoes - 500g

garlic - 3 juicy cloves

double cream - 250ml

thyme - about 8 sprigs

Scrub the new potatoes but do not peel them. Boil them in a pan of deep, lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes or so till tender. While the 'I keep finding rather less-than-exciting "new" potatoes in my shopping bag' potatoes are boiling, peel and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, add the leaves from the sprigs of thyme, the garlic, a little salt and black pepper. Let the mixture simmer over a moderate heat until it has reduced by about a third.

Once the potatoes are drained, put them in a shallow dish and crush each one lightly with a fork - you want to break the skin and flatten the potato just enough that its flesh will soak up some of the hot cream. Pour the cream and thyme over the crushed potatoes and eat hot.

Goat's cheese bubble and squeak

A new take on the original, which makes matters a little more substantial. Two of these cheese-and-potato cakes is ample for a main course with maybe a spinach or chicory salad to follow.

Makes 4, enough for 2

greens - 200g (purple spouting, Chinese » Potatoes with dill and chicken stock.

broccoli, Savoy cabbage etc)

cooked potato - 200g

goat's cheese - 100g

nutmeg

plain flour - a tbs

olive oil -a little for frying

Wash the greens thoroughly then cook them in deep salted water until bright green and tender. Drain carefully and roughly chop, discarding any tough stalks as you go.

Mix the cooked, roughly mashed potatoes with the greens then add the goat's cheese, cut up into small pieces. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and if you wish, a very little nutmeg, then stir in the flour. Divide the mixture into four and pat each one into a rough patty (they will be roughly the size of a thick digestive biscuit).

Put the patties onto a floured plate, turning them once in the flour. Get a thin layer of oil hot in a shallow, non-stick pan. Lower the patties into the oil and cook for about four minutes on each side till golden and lightly crisp. Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve.

Sea-salt baked potato, Parmesan greens

Serves 2

baking potatoes - 2 large ones

sea salt flakes

green salad leaves - 2 large handfuls

For the dressing

tarragon vinegar - 1 tbsp

Dijon mustard - a tsp

egg yolk - one

olive oil - 100ml

grated Parmesan

lemon juice - 2 tsp

Set the oven at 200°C/gas 6. Wet the potato and roll it in flakes of sea salt, making certain that at least some stick to the potato skin. Prick the skin and bake the potato till tender. (It can take anything from 35 minutes to an hour depending on your potato.)

To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, mustard, egg yolk and olive oil together with a little salt and black pepper, then beat in the grated cheese. Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir and set aside for five minutes.

Serve the salt-baked potatoes, scooping off the top like a boiled egg, stirring butter or olive oil as you wish. Once the potato flesh has been eaten, toss the salad leaves with the dressing and pile into the vacated potato skins. Eat salad, potato skins and all.

· Nigel Slater's latest book is The Kitchen Diaries (Fourth Estate, £25)