Potatoes Cooking Tips

by Isabel Robson
(UK)

Here are 10 cooking tips for preparing and cooking potatoes.

1 Select The Right Potato For The Task
2 Wash Potatoes Well
3 Keep Peeled Potatoes In Water
4 Do Not Overcook Potatoes
5 Boiled Potatoes
6 Fried Potatoes
7 Mashed Potatoes
8 Baked Potatoes
9 Roast Potatoes
10 Do Not Waste Potatoes

1 Select The Right Potato For The Task
First you select the right brand of potato according to cooking method desired.

Waxy potatoes are lower in starch content, therefore best for boiling or potato salad (easily identified by its red skin like Red La Soda, Norland, Idarose).
Nadine and Charlotte potatoes are white for example but are waxy.

Dry potatoes are high in starch, these are good for frying, mashing, roasting and baking (brands including Russet, Yellow Finn and Maris Piper which has a floury texture).

Of course there are versatile potatoes like King Edward which is both waxy and floury, excellent for chips, mashing and roasting.
If in doubt, check with your potato vendor.

2 Wash Potatoes Well
Ensure you scrub potatoes well to get rid of the earthy taste. Also to help reduce any bacteria going into the food preparation process.

3 Keep Peeled Potatoes In Water
Keep peeled potatoes in water to avoid the flesh getting darker.

4 Do Not Overcook Potatoes
Potatoes contain vitamins, folate and minerals essential to a healthy immune system. In order to retain its Nutrional value and health properties, potatoes should not be overcooked.

5 Boiled Potatoes
Best to use organic new potatoes with skin for boiling and for potato salad. You can appreciate the freshness of potatoes and its taste is at its best. Russian Banana is a good brand to use and cook with skin.
New potatoes take a lot less to cook but allow them to cook slowing add cooking in cold water. Allow to boil for no more than 5 minutes, firm to the bite, leave in hot water and covered with lid for 2 minutes. By the time potatoes are served, the texture is just right. Just before serving, drain potatoes and lightly season with sea salt drizzle with olive oil and chopped herbs, cover with lid again and allow the steam to blend flavours together. Delicious!
In potato salad add 1 tsp of lemon juice to avoid potatoes getting darker. The acid in lemon will also add a kick to the salad and help avoid any after taste or ingestion.

6 Fried Potatoes
Avoid deep frying potatoes, a lot of oil is absorbed by the potatoes which is not very healthy. Invest in Tefal steam fryer which only uses 1 table spoon of oil instead of 1 litre.
My personal favourite is fried sweet potato chips. Its high natural sugar content satisfies a sweet tooth without having to many calories.

7 Mashed Potatoes
Peel and chop potatoes into chunks the same size, this way each chunk cooks at the same time.
Do not overcook the potato when boiling, should be soft but still firm to avoid mash being to sticky.
Use a manual potato mashing tool rather than a blender. Otherwise your mash may resemble processed baby food!
For best results, drain potatoes as soon as boiled and start mashing immediately.
To make it fluffy and light, add 3 table spoons of milk (more depending on quantity), 2 tsp butter and a good pinch of ground nutmeg before mixing with a wooden spoon. Lightly season with sea salt and it is ready.

8 Baked Potatoes
Steam baking is the healthiest method of cooking potatoes. Potatoes are sealed by the skins, helping retain its flavour and nutrients. Russets are a good brand for baking.
Make small incisions in potatoes and back in very hot oven. Wrap in foil and steam for 25 minutes. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

9 Roast Potatoes
I used to pre-boil potatoes before roasting them. But I found that potatoes often stuck together in the roasting tray even when well greased. Since the Tefal steam fryer arrived, I now fry the potato large chunks in fryer for 5 minutes with ½ table spoon olive oil to help seal the flesh and then roast as normal for 25 minutes. The result is a golden crispy roasted potato with a fluffy middle.

10 Do Not Waste Potatoes
In recession times and to reduce carbon foot print, the last thing we should be doing is throwing away any left overs.
Even 2 roasted potato chunks can help go towards making fish cakes, soups, pasties or casseroles. The crispy bits can add texture and flavour to a meal. There is great satisfaction in making a meal going further. For food safety, keep in the fridge and re-use within 12 hours.