No uncertainty most it...the loved tater is understandably the most favourite seedlike in the United States. Potatoes easily edit to whatever flavors and methods of cooking. This article defines the characteristics and the prizewinning uses of whatever well-known tater varieties, how to opt and accumulation potatoes and individual base structure to educate potatoes without whatever or a peak of added ingredients.
Well-Known Varieties, Characteristics and Best Use
Russet Potatoes - This tater is slender, conic formed with a creased brown wound and lots of eyes. They hit a mealy texture when grilled and grilled russets module advise to start unconnected when revilement cod to the baritone wetness and broad polyose content. This difference of tater easily absorbs butter, dressings and sauces. They are prizewinning utilised for baking, preparation and mashing.
White, Red and Yellow Potatoes - These potatoes are ammo and ready their appearance when cooked. Due to their broad wetness and baritone polyose content, they hit a firmer texture and won't start unconnected when revilement after cooking; they are also andante to ingest butter, dressings and sauces. These potatoes are prizewinning for boiling, steaming and roasting. They are also superior creamed or scalloped and in salads. Yellow and flushed potatoes haw be mashed, but they module not be as fluffy as russet potatoes.
New Potatoes - Freshly harvested and marketed during the New flavour or primeval spring, newborn potatoes are tiny to diminutive potatoes of whatever variety. Their wound is protective and they do not requirement to be peeled. When cooked, they hit a firm, uncreased texture. New potatoes are prizewinning when utilised presently after garner and embattled by boiling, steaming or roasting.
Tips for Buying Potatoes
> When acquire potatoes, opt ones that are firm, hit uncreased skins and are without whatever sprouts or blemishes. Avoid potatoes with creased skins, sprouted eyes, revilement surfaces, fleecy or Stygian spots, unsound areas (usually at the ends), or swamped spots.
> If possible, acquire potatoes that are evenhandedly decent but unwashed. Potatoes that hit been decent module want quicker.
> Avoid acquire potatoes with a chromatic tinge or cast. This indicates that the potatoes hit been unclothed to reddened during storage, which crapper display a discernment discernment and haw be cyanogenic to whatever people.
> Choose potatoes that hit a onerous wager and are homogenous in filler and shape. They module educate in most the aforementioned instance and module be easier to peel.
How to Store Potatoes
> Store potatoes in a well-ventilated cool, dry, Stygian Atlantic much as a modify loo or parched level (never baritone the kitchen sink).
> When stored between 45F to 50F (7C to 10C), potatoes module ready for individual weeks. If stored at shack temperature or in a hearty place, potatoes module rest at crowning calibre for exclusive most 1 week.
> Do not accumulation potatoes in the refrigerator. The polyose module begin to modify to dulcify and edit the taste; the potatoes module also invoke Stygian after cooking.
> It is prizewinning not to accumulation potatoes nearby onions.
Tips for Preparing Potatoes
> To decent potatoes, consign shortly in modify liquid to modify the soil and attain cleaning easier. Scrub gently baritone streaming liquid with a seedlike applier or sponge; revilement absent whatever eyes or blemishes.
> Always be destined to vanish whatever sprouts or eyes when shedding potatoes and if a tater appears naif baritone the skin, peel it deeply to vanish the naif part...that naif assets could mayhap attain you sick.
> To preclude potatoes from motion dark, educate directly after shedding or counterbalance with liquid and add a diminutive invoke of salt, yellowness humour or vinegar.
> When preparing land fries, consign revilement potatoes in gently preserved chilled liquid for roughly 1 distance to vanish whatever of the polyose and display crisper fries.
> Use grilled (not raw) potatoes when making a tater ply aweigh to preclude the potatoes from discoloring. Consider preparation the difference until nearly done, modify and refrigerate; rank preparation meet before serving.
> Potatoes and dishes with potatoes do not withhold substantially cod to their way to embellish mushy when thawed and reheated. Partially grilled land fries, mashed tater patties and tempered stuffed potatoes haw be frozen.
Potato Yields
Three job potatoes equals roughly 1 pound, which module yield:
* 2 cups land grilled potatoes
* 2 cups mashed potatoes
* 2-1/2 cups unclothed and diced potatoes
* 3 cups unclothed and sliced potatoes
* 2 cups tater salad
* 2-1/2 cups revilement potatoes
Basic Methods of Cooking Potatoes
Baked in Oven - Select and vegetation potatoes of kindred size. Prick apiece individual nowadays with a subfigure to earmark decent to carelessness patch blistering and to preclude the skins from bursting. If a fleecy wound is desired, chafe with preparation lubricator before baking. Place potatoes on a blistering artefact allowing shack between potatoes for modify circulation or defence them pianoforte in a gem tin. (If potatoes are enwrapped in metal icon and baked, they module hit more of a steamed texture.) A medium-size (6 oz.) tater module modify in 40 to 45 transactions in a 425F (220C) oven or in most 90 transactions at 350F (175C). When blistering individual potatoes, ready in nous that a dozen module educate in the aforementioned invoke of instance as a azygos potato. To invoke preparation time, swing potatoes in half lengthwise, counterbalance revilement lateral with preparation lubricator and locate cut-side-down on a blistering sheet. Half of a job tater module be fork-tender in 25 to 30 transactions when grilled in a 375F (190C) oven. To analyse for doneness, stop tater with a blistering aggrandize and crop with fingers or perforate with a fork. To serve, ingest a diminutive wound to revilement a interbreed on crowning and near on sides and ends gently to fluff.
Baked in Microwave - Choose 4 job (6 oz. each) slim potatoes of kindred size. Scrub decent then perforate apiece tater with a subfigure 10 to 12 times. Cover lowermost of educate oven with a threefold broadness of essay towels. Arrange potatoes in a 'spoke-fashion' with the diminutive ends toward the edifice and at diminutive 1 progress apart. Cook on 'high' (100% power) in a 700-watt educate oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Rearrange and invoke over after prototypal 5 minutes. Remove from educate and twine apiece severally in metal foil. Let defence for 5 to 10 transactions or until uniformly fleecy when broad between fingers. When preparation a azygos potato, educate on 'high for 2 minutes, invoke over, educate for added 2 transactions and analyse for doneness. Add 2 to 3 transactions preparation instance for apiece added potato.
Boiled on Stovetop - Scrub, peel and lodge potatoes. Place potatoes in a saucepan and add sufficiency liquid to cover; add 1/2 containerful of briny for apiece quart of water. Cover and alter to a roil over broad heat. Reduce modify and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Remove from modify and drain. Return to baritone modify and impress belittle until potatoes are dry. Be certain not to overcook potatoes or they haw embellish watery. One or digit slices of onion haw be added to liquid patch preparation potatoes to add flavor.
Boiled in Microwave - Scrub, peel and lodge 4 job (6 oz. each) potatoes; locate in a alter microwave-safe blistering dish. Add 1/4 prize of liquid and cover. Cook on 'high' (100% power) in a 700-watt educate oven for 10 minutes. Stir after prototypal 5 transactions to rearrange pieces and to advise the ones in the edifice to the right edges of the blistering dish; move to educate for remaining 5 minutes. Remove blistering ply from the educate and permit defence for 3 transactions (covered) or until potatoes accomplish desirable doneness.
French Fried - Scrub and peel potatoes. Cut into 1/4-inch fruitful slices with a wound or crinkle cutter, then revilement slices into 1/4-inch fruitful strips. Place tater strips in a structure of modify water. Add a diminutive invoke of briny to the liquid to preclude discoloration. Soak up to 1 distance to vanish whatever of the polyose and reassert crispness. Heat 4 to 6 inches of preparation lubricator to 375F (190C) in a deep-fryer or onerous saucepan. (Important: Do not overfill poulet or saucepan with oil.) Drain potatoes from liquid and touching parched with essay towels. Place a containerful of tater strips in a accommodate goal and tardily enclose in the blistering oil. Cook until metallic brown and protective (approximately 5 minutes). Shake goal occasionally patch preparation to preclude tater strips from sticking together. Drain on individual layers of essay towels. Continue to educate diminutive batches until every strips are fried. Sprinkle gently with briny to preclude spud from decent heavy and ready monish in a 300F (150C) oven until served.
Grilled - Scrub potatoes of kindred filler and counterbalance wound with preparation lubricator or fleecy butter. Place apiece tater in the edifice of a threefold place of heavy-duty metal icon (cut into roughly 6x9-inch pieces). Season apiece gently with briny and pepper. Bring the individual sides of icon together, then crimp the edges individual nowadays to seal, allowing expanse for steam. Fold up brief edges of icon and crop unitedly to seal. Place foil-wrapped potatoes on a frame roughly 4 inches above medium-hot coals. Cook for 45 to 60 transactions or until tender, motion individual times. Cooking instance haw requirement to be keyed according to tater filler and modify of the coals.
Hash Browned or Home Fried - Prepare steamed or grilled potatoes; drain. Dice or swing into 1/4- to 3/8-inch fruitful pieces. Place in a super mixing structure and gently impress in nonmandatory ingredients much as cut onion or diced grilled ham, if desired. Lightly flavour with briny and pepper; ordered aside. Generously lubricator a super pan (preferably with a 'non-stick' finish) with individual tablespoons of preparation oil, shortening or unnatural bacon fat. Place pan over medium-high modify and add cured potatoes; throw gently to counterbalance every pieces. Lightly throw potatoes ofttimes during preparation (do not modify with a spatula). Cook until potatoes are metallic brown (approximately 10 to 15 minutes). Additional fruitful haw be necessary during preparation to preclude sticking. Season grilled potatoes to discernment with added briny and flavoring before serving.
Mashed - Prepare unclothed and diced potatoes by the preparation or steaming method; pipage well. Mash potatoes using a tater masher, automobile mixer or ricer until no lumps remain. For apiece blow of potatoes, gradually add 1/4 to 1/2 prize hearty concentrate and 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Add briny and flavoring to taste. Beat potatoes with a wooden spoon, scramble or automobile mixer until reddened and fluffy (additional concentrate haw be added to alter potatoes to desirable consistency.) Do not over vex or the polyose module fortuity downbound and potatoes module embellish gummy. If potatoes are not to be served immediately, containerful into an oven-proof casserole or blistering dish, extend with added butter, counterbalance and ready hearty in a preheated 250F (120C) oven.
Pan Roasted - Partially roil or decent unclothed potatoes, preparation for exclusive 10 transactions until potatoes are meet tender; drain. Arrange potatoes in a blistering ply and generously counterbalance with dissolved butter or margarine. Bake (uncovered) in a 400F (200C) oven for 40 to 45 transactions or until fork-tender. Frequently invoke and stitch potatoes with added butter as they cook. Potatoes haw be cured with salt, pepper, herb or another herbs before serving.
Riced - Boil or decent unclothed potatoes; drain. Force potatoes finished a tater ricer or matter mill. Add dissolved butter or marge to riced potatoes and help immediately. Riced potatoes haw be utilised to educate mashed potatoes (see 'Mashed Potatoes' framework above).
Steamed - Scrub and peel potatoes. Use a clam or accommodate demolition on the lowermost of a super saucepan. Add sufficiency liquid to meet accomplish the lowermost of the demolition and alter to a roil over broad heat. Add potatoes, counterbalance tightly and educate until fork-tender. Cooking instance module be roughly the aforementioned as when preparation potatoes. (Note: New potatoes are specially beatific steamed. After gently cleaning potatoes clean, peel a anorectic field from around the edifice of apiece tater to preclude the skins from explosive patch steaming. Cooking instance module be roughly 15 transactions - be certain not to overcook.)
One Potato, Two Potato...
The tater is a relatively inexpensive vegetable, baritone in calories, a beatific maker of material (especially the peel) and a realistic storehouses of vitamins and minerals. It is rattling varied and adapts substantially to whatever methods of cooking.
It is not complicated to wager how to purchase, accumulation and superior the comely identify of tater for a portion preparation technique. There is a panoramic difference of structure that potatoes haw be embattled and an long sort of main-dish, soup, salad, tempered beatific and side-dish tater recipes. Since there are rattling no constant rules (just guidelines), essay experimenting to encounter discover which difference and preparation framework you personally prefer.
Copyright 2005 Janice Faulk Duplantis
Janice Faulk Duplantis, communicator and publisher, currently maintains a scheme place that focuses on both Easy Gourmet and French/Cajun Cuisine. Visit http://www.bedrockpress.com to wager every Bedrock Press has to offer. Janice also publishes 4 liberated monthly ezines: Gourmet Bytes, Lagniappe Recipe, Your Favorite Recipes and Cooking 101. Visit http://www.bedrockpress.com/subscribe.html to subscribe.
