You can't actually be sure that stew doesn't have a ton of ground spices in it, because they wouldn't show. The flavor could be so intense you might need the plain potato bites to rest your mouth. (Highly unlikely but possible.) The real crime is the complete lack of anything green on the table. It's like they looked around at the lush greenery all around them and decided to leave it all outside.
Truthfully, I've been to the UK and had some great food, I just like to rag on the brits!
But yes, the lack of color is probably the real issue with this meal. You really want some fiber to go with a meal like this, to say nothing of the missing nutrients. As an American though, mocking an all brown-and-white plate of food seems a little hypocritical, haha.
You're supposed to spice those naked potatoes with the meat and gravy. This is basically Haggis if I recall correctly, without fancy serving. And it is really good.
Haggis is traditionally sheep organ meat, oats, and spices. Black pepper and nutmeg are usually the dominant ones, although I assume that's a development from within the last couple hundred years since neither is native to anywhere near Scotland. You'd serve it alongside potatoes and turnips, traditionally both mashed with a bit of butter.
As an American, this comment almost made me drop my gun and steer my F-350 off the road (I was scrolling and driving ofc). I feel so sorry for you guys, I hadn't realized you'd been living like this since we broke up.
You can do so much with potatoes and a little bit of spices. Maybe start out with some black pepper, or some chili powder or paprika. Old Bay would also go great. If you're really feeling adventurous, instead of conquering India, you could pan fry the potatoes instead of boiling them, and use a little hot sauce or ketchup. For boiled or baked potatoes in particular, dressing them with some sour cream or sauerkraut can be very good.
Yeah, I'm of the opinion that you should only boil a potato if you intend to mash it. Otherwise, what are you even doing? There are faster and tastier ways to prepare it.
You should boil them a bit in an alkaline water before roasting as well. It breaks down the surface into a starchy mess that crisps up wonderfully while they roast.
Alkaline water? Do you mean salt water or water with vinegar? I don't know enough about Ph to know which one makes alkaline water.... I think vinegar is an acid, but is salt a base?
Neither, I'm referring to adding a small amount of baking soda to the water. You're correct about vinegar being acidic. Table salt is neutral. Sodium bicarbonate is basic and increases the alkalinity of the water.