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COOKING GUIDE
The Essential & Practical Cooking Guide
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WORKING WITH POTATOES
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How to prepare, cook and serve potatoes |
| Boiling potatoes are
moist with a waxy texture so they keep their shape when cooked. Baking potatoes
are dry and starchy and their texture is more floury after cooking. In addition,
there are orange and white-fleshed sweet potatoes.
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If the potato skins is to be eaten,
scrub them well. Otherwise, peel potatoes with a potato peeler or a sharp short
kitchen knife.
To saute, boil until
partially cooked (in jacket if preferred) then fry slices or cubes in butter or
oil until brown and crisp. To boil, put into a pan of cold salted water,
bring to a boil, and simmer until just tender: 10 - 20 minutes according to
size. |
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To bake, prick skins all over
with a fork and bake in 4000F / 2000C / Gas 6 oven until
tender: 1 - 1 1/2 hours or 30 - 40 minutes for sweet potatoes. . To roast,
blanch peeled potatoes for 1 - 2 minutes, drain and pat dry. Put around meat in
a roasting tin and turn to coat with dripping sauce. Roast for 1 to 1.5 hours,
turning occasionally. |
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To deep-fry (chips), cut into
sticks and soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes; drain and pat dry. Fry in
small batches in oil heated to 3750F / 1900C until
beginning to color, usually takes 3 - 7 minutes according to size. Drain on
kitchen towels, then fry again for 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. |
SERVING IDEAS
Dress boiled new potatoes with butter and
chopped mixed parsley and mint or toasted pine nuts.
Mash boiled or baked sweet potatoes with an
electric mixer. Add butter to taste, orange juice to moisten and ground cinnamon, season and
beat well.
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