How To Cook Potatoes Correctly?

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

There is probably no person in the world who would not like potatoes. This vegetable is often called "second bread" and for good reason. It is very nutritious and healthy due to its rich content of various minerals and vitamins. There are thousands of options for its preparation. The main thing is not to be mistaken in the nuances

Before dealing with the culinary intricacies of cooking potatoes, it is worth remembering its variety and main types. Among the million varieties of potatoes, four main categories can be distinguished:

• Technical potatoes with a high (from 16% starch content). It is used for industrial purposes (in the manufacture of raw materials for starch and alcohol). But there is little protein in such a potato.

• Table potatoes are the most popular vegetable on the table in many countries. Its tubers are round, medium in size, thin skin and without too deep eyes. This potato contains a lot of starch (usually 12-18%) and vitamin C.

• Fodder potatoes. It is used for feeding livestock and poultry. It has rather large starchy tubers, rich in protein. Produces good yields.

• Versatile potatoes. Such varieties combine the characteristics of several or all of the species listed above.

Potatoes are the ideal vegetable from which you can make almost all kinds of dishes. We will remind or introduce newcomers to cooking with some of the nuances of cooking potato tubers.

Making mashed potatoes

Even while cooking a dish known and loved by many - mashed potatoes, people often make mistakes. Here are the main steps:

* First, it is advisable to choose a potato variety that is suitable for this dish. These should be highly starchy varieties.

* Potatoes should be placed in a pot of cold water and put on fire.

* As soon as the water boils, you need to salt it.

* When the potatoes are boiled, the water is drained, leaving the vegetables in a hot saucepan. If necessary, you can add other ingredients to them (vegetables, herbs, spices).

* It is better to preheat the milk and butter used. The temperature of milk, cream or puree water should be at room temperature. Warm ingredients make mashed potatoes airy and tasty.

* With the help of a crush (potato grinder), the potatoes are kneaded until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. However, it is not recommended to use a food processor. Otherwise, the consistency and taste of the puree will deteriorate.

Baked potato

Many people believe that baked potatoes are the simplest dish, and immediately after washing the tubers, they are sent to the oven. But it is better to proceed according to the following scheme:

* Wash potatoes and dry for at least 15 minutes.

* Pierce in several places with a fork.

* Rub with oil.

* Sprinkle with salt.

* Wrap with foil.

Medium potatoes will cook in an hour. This can be checked with a fork - if it easily enters the tuber, then it is ready. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before eating. Served whole or cut.

Fried potatoes

A big mistake is cooking fried potatoes in the oven. Pre-cut into pieces and oiled - it will only be fried on the outside, but not cooked on the inside. For soft fried potatoes, it is advisable to cut them and toss them in boiling water just before frying. You can make crispy potatoes by frying them in a large amount of fat or oil in a deep frying pan.

Cooking french fries

Better to cook it from starchy varieties. Chopped pieces of potatoes are soaked once or twice in cold water for about half an hour to rid the vegetable of excess starch and prevent it from browning. Then dry it with a dry towel. And they start cooking. The easiest way is to use a special deep fat fryer. But you can also cook fries on the stove in a deep dish with heated oil.

Experienced chefs recommend frying the French fries in two sessions. First fry it at 160 C for a few minutes. This will soften the pieces a little. Then remove them from the pan and let cool slightly. Then heat the oil to a higher temperature - about 180 C, put the cooled pieces in it and fry them until golden brown. Finally, place them on a plate with a paper towel and wait for the excess oil to drain. Then add salt to the dish and serve.

Frying pancakes and potato pancakes

Pancakes and pancakes are made from grated potatoes. The tubers are grated and soaked in cold water. Then the egg is squeezed out and added, but not necessary. They take a cast-iron (ideal) frying pan, heat it up, pour butter or vegetable oil, or fat and put grated potatoes on it. Sprinkle with seasonings. A common mistake is to start moving the potato cutlets right away with a spoon or fork. From this they quickly lose their shape. You need to wait at least 3-5 minutes for them to grab as follows.

Baked potatoes with cream

When baking potatoes with cream, many try to use cream or sour cream with a lower percentage of fat or replace them with regular milk. But that would be a mistake. Since low-fat dairy products will make the dish watery and not tasty. Fat country sour cream is ideal for baking.

Potatoes for casseroles need to be cut thinly, you can also grate them. Large chunks of potatoes may not bake properly. Before the end of cooking (3-5 minutes), sprinkle the dish with cheese and herbs.

Making soups and potato stews

All table potatoes are suitable for the soup. The main mistake in making soups and stews is tossing potatoes too early. After which it quickly boils down, turning the dish into porridge. If the soup or stew is supposed to be stewed for a long time and over low heat, then it is better to add the potatoes 15-20 minutes before the end of cooking.

Salads with potatoes

Salads are prepared from dense, low-starchy potato varieties, because due to the large amount of starch, the tubers quickly boil down, which is unacceptable in preparing a salad. The second mistake is to put burnt potatoes in the salad. It only spoils the taste of the dish. Don't make a hot potato salad.

When boiling tubers for salad, the water should be well salted.

Rotten potatoes

The biggest mistake is cooking with old and even slightly rotten potatoes. It must be remembered that this vegetable belongs to the solanaceous plants containing solanine. The human body is able to normally digest this component in normal concentration, but with long or improper storage of potatoes, the amount of solanine increases to such an extent that it can become fatal to humans.

The best way to store potatoes is to place them in a cool, dark room at 7-12 C. Some people like to keep potatoes in the refrigerator for several months. However, this storage method can change the taste and color of the potato, making it sweeter or darker. It is easy to restore the vegetable's former aroma - a few days before cooking it, you need to take it out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature.