I Have Eaten It: Communal meal

Join us at 7pm GMT on 11 June for Open Space’s Communal meal on Zoom, hosted by founding director Huma Kabakci alongside artist Laura Wilson. At the table, we will be joined by Gareth Bell-Jones curator / director of Flat Time House and artist Moza Almatrooshi, with the discussion chaired by writer and journalist Ellen Mara De Wachter.

Part of Open Space’s new Digital Programme, the event will be in reference to I Have Eaten It, the second iteration of our Edible Goods series, exploring food in contemporary art practices. Postponed due to Covid-19, the exhibition programme co-curated by Huma Kabakci and Laura Wilson was planned to open at the end of May at Platform Southwark.

A few days before the event, Laura will provide a simple suggested recipe, as an extension of her Kitchen Takeover project on Open Space’s Instagram, which can be prepared easily ahead of the meeting with few ingredients. *Please note that this is an optional part of the experience, you are welcome to join us for the discussion with your own meal, takeaway, drink or simply over a cup of tea!

We hope that each course will bring food for thought and the dinner will finish with a serving of questions from guests.


© Laura Wilson

Recipe by Laura Wilson

Potato Farls with Feta & Red onion salad for Auntie Pauline

Also known as potato bread, this is very much a Northern Irish staple. The recipe uses cooked, mashed potatoes – so a good way to use up your leftovers. It is traditionally served at breakfast alongside bacon, egg and perhaps a soda farl, but here I’m serving it with a fresh onion salad so it can be eaten as a light meal at any time of the day.

I first made potato bread with Auntie Pauline, a good family friend who lived next door when I was growing up. This recipe is for her.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)
For the potato farls
– approx. 1kg of mashed potato
– 125g plain flour
– 2 tbsp butter
– salt

For the red onion salad: 
– 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
– Zest of 1 lemon
– Juice of 1 lemon
– 3 tbsp coriander leaves
To serve
– Feta (optional)

First make the salad. Mix the red onion with the lemon zest, lemon juice and coriander in a small bowl, season to taste and set aside to marinate.
Melt the butter and mix into the potatoes with the salt. 

Work in the flour quickly but thoroughly, and knead lightly with your hands. Divide into two and roll out each half on a floured board to form a circle about the size of a large dinner plate. Cut into quarters (farls), and cook for three minutes on each side in a heavy frying pan with a little oil/ butter.

To serve, place potato farls on your plate (1, or 2 per person depending on hunger), crumble over the feta, and top with the onion salad.