Potatoes
Source of Recipe
Internet
List of Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds (3 medium potatoes) equals
3 cups chopped or sliced raw potatoes
or 2 to 3 cups cooked mashed potatoes
Purchasing & Storing Potatoes
Potatoes should be smooth, well shaped, and unbruised. When selecting potatoes, choose new potatoes for boiling and salads. They have thinner skins and are firmer.
DID YOU KNOW THAT POTATO SPROUTS ARE POISONOUS? There is no problem with the potato; just cut off the sprouts, and it's fine for eating. A sprout of any size can be toxic, but you'd have to eat many sprouts to get sick. Do not buy if they have sprouted or have a green tint to the skin.
The same is true for potatoes that turn a greenish hue. A potato in this condition is "light-struck." This happens when a chemical, just beneath the potato's skin, reacts to light. The green part will taste a little bitter, but if you peel it off, the rest of the potato will taste fine.
Both conditions can be retarded by storing the potatoes in a cool, very dark place.
Store at room temperature in a dark area. Do not refrigerate.
Cooking Potatoes
Boiled Potatoes
Boiled potatoes should be started in cold water rather than in hot water. this allows for a more even cooking and heat penetration from outside to inside during the relatively long cooking time required. Potatoes are never COOLED in cold water, unlike most vegetables. This would make them soggy.
Tip: For fluffier boil potatoes, simply pour off all the water after they are boiled and cover the pot with a double thickness of paper towels, then cover with the ssaucepan lid. In ten minutes, steam will be absorbed by the towels and your potatoes will be dry and fluffy.
Baked Potatoes
Scrub well and pierce the ends with a fork or skewer so steam can escape. Never attempt to bake a mature potato without puncturing the skin - it might explode.
For crisp skins, rub lightly with oil or butter (to prevent skin from cracking and to improve the taste). For more tender skins, leave dry.
Place onto an oven rack in a preheated 400-degree oven and bake until done, approximately one hour. To test doneness, squeeze gently. Done potatoes will yield to gentle pressure.
Aluminum-foil wrapped potatoes are not baked but steamed in their own moisture. The texture of a steamed potato is entirely different from that of a baked potato. Save yourself the trouble and expense of wrapping in aluminum foil and serve a better product.
Mashed Potatoes
Russet potatoes make the best mashed potatoes.
Peel them and cut into equal-sized pieces. Boil and drain.
Dry over low heat for a few minutes. Mash with a potato masher, potato ricer, or an electric beaters. Do this very quickly so the potatoes will remain hot.
Add one tablespoon butter (more or less if you like) for each two potatoes, and salt to your taste. Beat until the butter is melted. Then add milk or light cream that has been heated but not brought to a boil (if you add cold liquid, the potatoes will be cold and gummy). Beat the liquid into the potatoes to make a smooth, fluffy mixture. Add only enough liquid to make the mixture smooth, about one tablespoon for each potato. Do not overbeat. they should be soft and moist, but firm enough to hold their shape.
All this should be done as quickly as possible so the potatoes never have a chance to get cold - that is the secret of delicious mashed potatoes!
Recipe
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