HOW TO COOK POTATOES

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• When you're shopping, it's good to know which potato varieties are best suited to which cooking methods. Here's a breakdown.High-starch, like Idaho and other russets, are good for baking whole, mashing, roasting, salad and frying.Medium-starch, like Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn, Katahdin and Kennebec, are good for mashing, roasting, salad and boiling.Low-starch, a k a waxy potatoes, like Red Bliss, Norland, White Rose, most fingerlings and new potatoes, are good for roasting, boiling, salad.For an all-purpose potato to keep on hand, buy russets or Yukon Golds and keep them in a cool, dark place.
• Mashed potatoes are still the simplest and most satisfying potato dish for many meals. Whether you like them whipped and creamy, dense or fluffy, they are easy to pull off on a weeknight but special enough for a holiday. And when plain mash seems too ... plain, expand on them with endless variations on herbs, aromatics and cheeses.Our favorite method for making mashed potatoes is in the video above. Here's how you do it: Put a large pot of water on to boil, adding a tablespoon of salt for each gallon of water. While the water heats, peel the largest potatoes you have (two per person is a good rule of thumb) and roughly cut into large chunks, about the size of a jumbo egg. Boil until tender all the way through (start testing after 10 minutes).Meanwhile, heat any flavorings (buttermilk, milk, cream, butter, stock) you plan to add. When potatoes are tender, scoop out and set aside a cup of cooking water. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Place over low heat and shake until most of the steam has dissipated. Add some of your flavorings, mash, and taste. Add salt. Repeat until mashed and seasoned to your liking. Adjust the texture with cooking water. Serve immediately or cover tightly and set aside for up to 30 minutes. Choose large potatoes to minimize peeling.It's better to overcook the potatoes than undercook them; be sure to cook them so they are thoroughly tender. Try adding garlic cloves and bay leaves or other aromatics to the cooking water; it adds another layer of flavor to the potatoes.Shake the drained potatoes in the pot over low heat, to get rid of excess water and add fluffiness.The traditional squiggle masher is not as efficient as those with a flat face and a grid pattern. A ricer makes the fluffiest mashed potatoes. Do not use a blender or food processor.Make sure everything you plan to add to the potatoes - milk, cream, butter, stock, cooking water - is very hot before you begin mashing. Quickly mashed potatoes are the fluffiest. The longer you work them, the denser and creamier the mash will become. Mashed potatoes will stay hot in a ceramic or glass serving bowl for at least 30 minutes. To keep them hot longer, place bowl inside a pan of simmering water on the stove and cover it tightly. You can also reheat cold mashed potatoes in this way; stir occasionally to redistribute the heat. Add another root vegetable to the mash. Some classic combinations: ⅔ mashed celery root to ⅓ mashed potato; ½ mashed turnips or parsnips to ½ mashed potato; ½ mashed cauliflower to ½ mashed potato.
• Potato casseroles and gratins - scalloped potatoes, galettes, potatoes au gratin - are comforting, savory and satisfying dishes. While traditionally served as sides for roasts or grilled meat, today's cooks are just as likely to serve them as the centerpiece of a meal. They can be rich with dairy, oozing with cheese or savory with stock, but all rely on the soft starchiness of the potato to hold them together.The key to a successful gratin (also known as scalloped potatoes) is getting the proportions right, so that the potatoes cook through and the liquid is absorbed or evaporated at the same time. (This can change with the thickness of the potato slices, the size of the pan and the type of potato.) Here's a good formula: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes (unless they are thin-skinned) and slice them up to 1/4-inch thick; you'll need enough to layer them in an ovenproof skillet almost to the top. Place them in the dish, overlapping them slightly, until the skillet is just about full.Dot the top of the potatoes with 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks. Pour in half-and-half (or a combination of milk and cream) to come 3/4 of the way to the top (2 to 3 cups).Place the skillet on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the liquid level drops. Put pan in oven and bake until the top browns, 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees and garnish the top with grated cheese (Cheddar, Gruyère, Parmesan) mixed with a pinch of grated nutmeg. Cook 10 minutes more, or until tender and browned.Potato casseroles keep much better in the refrigerator than plain cooked potatoes do, so when you need to make a potato dish in advance, a casserole is your best bet. Many good things can be added between the potato layers: grated cheese, chopped herbs, cooked leeks or onions, ham or cooked bacon, or cooked spinach or swiss chard.Some or all of the dairy can be replaced with stock. Try infusing the dairy with herbs, like bay leaves or chives; spices, like coriander and peppercorns; or heat from chipotle chiles in adobo.Some or all of the potatoes can be swapped for sweet potatoes or winter squash.
• It's very easy to make pretty good roasted potatoes - coat them with oil, stick them in the oven, and what's to stop them from getting done? - but making great roasted potatoes demands a little extra attention. Tiny new potatoes can be roasted whole and raw, but mature, starchy potatoes need a quick precook in boiling water or the microwave. After that, the sky's the limit, in terms of cooking fat (butter, oil, chicken fat, lard), seasonings (warm spices, chile powders, dry herbs, spice pastes), and garnishes (herb leaves, grated cheese, yogurt or crème fraîche, olives, citrus zests). Try different versions; you'll find that roasted potatoes can go easily from weeknight meal (try a fried egg on top) to elegant dinner-party side dish. Six to eight ounces raw potatoes per person is a good guideline. If using micro or baby potatoes, leave whole. For mature potatoes, peel (or not, as you prefer) and cut into even, thick wedges about the size of an orange segment, or into thick "French fry" lengths. Microwave the cut potatoes in batches until softened but still firm in the center, about 4 minutes total. Or boil in salted water; start testing for doneness after 10 minutes. (Skip this step if using whole baby potatoes.)When you're ready to roast, heat the oven to 450 degrees and spread whole raw potatoes or parcooked wedges on baking sheets. Drizzle with a little oil or fat and toss well, preferably with your hands. Keep adding oil and tossing to coat: the potatoes should be evenly coated and the pan should be slick on the surface, but not swimming in oil. Add plenty of salt and any spices. Roast 20 to 30 minutes, until bottoms are browned and a spatula slides under them smoothly. Turn and keep roasting until done, another 20 to 30 minutes.Have in your kitchen arsenal two large, rimmed baking sheets: giving the the potato pieces plenty of breathing room is the most important factor in getting them crispy.Potatoes should not be swimming in cooking fat; this will keep them from becoming crisp.To keep the exteriors from becoming leathery, always roast potatoes at high heat.
• Deep-fried potatoes are one of almost everyone's favorite foods, but many home cooks hesitate to take it on. However, with this cold-oil method for making french fries, it's easy to pull off with just a deep heavy pot and an open window.Peel as many large Idaho potatoes as you have people, plus a few extra. Cut lengthwise into slices, ⅜ to ½ inch thick, keeping the slices together. Give it a quarter turn and cut slices into strips. (Alternatively, cut potatoes into round slices, medium-size chunks or wedges. Or use whole baby potatoes, peeled.) Soak in cold water at least 30 minutes or overnight. Drain potatoes and pat dry. Place them in a deep heavy pot and pour in vegetable oil to cover, plus an inch or two. (Any kind of vegetable oil will work for frying.) Heat to a bare simmer and let cook slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until very soft.Raise the heat to medium. Line a large bowl with paper towels. Let potatoes fry in bubbling oil until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more. Lift out and place in paper towel-lined bowl. Shake to drain, remove paper towels, add salt, and shake again. Serve immediately!Make sure to cut the potato pieces at least ⅜-inch thick.Peeled, cut potatoes can be soaked in cold water for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, and they will only get better. Change the water every 8 hours or so. Add a chunk of fatty bacon or some lard to the vegetable oil in the pot for extra savoriness.
• Pan-fried potato dishes include crisp potato pancakes like latkes and rosti, Lyonnaise potatoes fragrant with onion, hash browns and other classics. Here's a simple way to do it.For basic pan-fried potatoes, use par-cooked (or leftover) potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into slices between ¼ and ½-inch thick. High- or medium-starch potatoes, such as Idaho or Yukon Gold, are best for these dishes. (About 2 potatoes per person is a good guideline.) Working in batches of about 2 cups potatoes at a time, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, a heaping teaspoon of minced onions, and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Adjust the heat so the ingredients sizzle but do not smoke. Cook, turning gently with a spatula, until browned and soft. Very tiny ("micro") potatoes can be pan-fried whole. Cook in butter over low heat in a covered pot, shaking often. Choose your cooking fat carefully. It takes high heat to brown potatoes in a skillet, and butter usually burns before the potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Instead, use vegetable oil (add a little bit of butter, if you like, for flavor); clarified butter or ghee; or an animal fat such as lard or duck fat. Monitor the heat carefully: potatoes should sizzle but not smoke. Any ingredient you are cooking the potatoes with - onions, peppers, celery, leftover meat such as corned beef - should be cut very small or grated.
• Boiled potatoes can be a lovely dish in themselves, especially if the potatoes are fresh from the earth and butter and herbs are also involved. Or, they can be the basis of other dishes like potato salad, pan-fried potatoes or mashed potatoes.To peel or not to peel? Potatoes boiled with their peels on absorb less water and turn out denser and neater. But only potatoes up to the size of a golf ball should be boiled whole. Large potatoes should be peeled and quartered. Boil the potatoes or pieces in plenty of well-salted water - the potatoes absorb the salt and become far tastier - just until tender all the way through. They will continue cooking a little longer after they are drained. When drained, serve immediately with melted butter and minced herbs, or drizzled with olive oil and lemon zest, or with a squiggle of tahini or yogurt sauce or sriracha mayonnaise.If using for another purpose, like potato salad, you can set aside boiled potatoes at room temperature for up to an hour before the flavor and texture start to deteriorate.Medium- or low-starch potatoes are best for boiling, and hold their shape when cooked; high-starch potatoes tend to fall apart before the centers are cooked through. However, for potato salad, some people prefer to use russets because they absorb more dressing. Try adding garlic cloves and bay leaves or other aromatics to the cooking water; it perfumes the potatoes. Boiled potatoes lose their flavor and texture very quickly after cooking. If you must, keep them overnight in a cool place rather than in the refrigerator.
• A kitchen stocked with baking potatoes is a kitchen that can produce dinner on demand. Properly done and lavishly garnished, baked potatoes are a satisfying meal in themselves. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub whole baking potatoes (1 per person, more if you want extra for mashed potatoes) with olive or vegetable oil, sprinkle them with salt, and prick them with the tines of a fork. Lay them directly on the oven rack, or arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on size), turning over once, until skins are golden and crispy and a knife inserted in the flesh meets no resistance.Baked potatoes are done when you slip in a thin-bladed knife and it meets with no resistance. If you want to be very precise, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should read 210 degrees. The microwave doesn't produce satisfactory baked potatoes, but if you have a slow cooker, you can wrap oiled and salted potatoes individually in foil, then cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.Some cooks swear by baking potatoes, instead of boiling them, for mashed potatoes. The mash turns out very dry and fluffy, with a concentrated potato flavor. The great American cook James Beard liked his potatoes baked at 425 degrees for 2 full hours, which produces a very crunchy skin and an almost caramelized flavor.