Switzerland - Rosti
Recipe from https://swissfamilyfun.com/rosti/
Fried, grated potato exists in many forms; draniki, hash browns, latkes. Switzerland's answer is rösti. Very simple stuff - potato is grated, squeezed dry, seasoned and fried in butter. I then served it with mushrooms in a cream sauce, bacon and a fried egg, as is common. A perfect, calorie rich dish for eating on the sides of the frostbitten alps.
Guatemala - Pepian de Pollo
Recipe from https://familiakitchen.com/luis-pepian-with-pollo-from-guatemala/
Guatemala's Pepian de Pollo is made by its sauce, and I regret not including more of it in this photo as the dish is much closer to a soup than I have made it appear here. The sauce is richly flavoured and key to the enjoyment of the meal, consisting of tomatoes, onions, garlic, anise, both ancho and guajilo chiles, and sesame and pumpkin seeds. This makes for a spicy, nutty taste, which complements the sweetness of the squash well. Also in the pot are potatoes, green beans, and of course chicken. I'll definitely return to this one, but making sure I include far more sauce.
Ireland - Irish Stew
Irish stew is a warm and comforting meal, and very simple to make. The process is essentially just roughly cutting up meat and veggies and boiling them until cooked. I used stewing steak, carrots, onions and potatoes, as is traditional. Though not in the recipe at yourirish.com, I added some simple suet dumplings which I boiled with the stew. Irish stew will not set your taste buds alight, but it's hot, healthy and good for you, and perfect for a cold winter's evening.
Azerbaijan - Plov
Azerbaijan's plov is, of the 3 I've now cooked, my favourite variation. The rice is buttery and rich, with succulent, highly seasoned chicken contrasting beautifully with the sticky sweetness of dried fruit. Plov (think pilau) is rice in saffron water, steamed over a layered mixture of meat and onions, then mixed with chestnuts and topped with dates, apricots and raisins, fried in butter.
Kazakhstan - Beshbarmak
Recipe from https://arbuz.com/recipes/beshbarmak/
Kazakhstan's Beshbarmak is a fairly in-depth process, boiling beef for hours until tender, making noodles from scratch, preparing vegetables and caramelising onions all separately. The noodles are made of a simple water, egg and flour dough, then cut into fairly large but thin squares and boiled in the broth made by boiling the beef, which gives them a meaty flavour. The broth is finished with cumin and poured on top of the finished meal, and then garnished with dill. Interestingly, the ingredients of this are almost identical to those used in the Irish stew above, but the addition of a couple spices (and a lot more time) really elevate it into a much more exciting dish.