Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Choosing The Right Potato




Ever wonder why the potatoes in your potato salad turned to mush and had that mealy texture when at the family reunion while the potato's in aunt Martha's potato salad always seemed perfect? Or why is it when you make a soup or a stew the potatoes just seem to end up over cooked and fall apart? Ninety nine times out of a hundred it is not your fault, you simply used the wrong potato for the job. We have all heard the song or rhyme 'you say po-ta-toe, I say po-tot-o, you say to-ma-toe, I say to-mot-o'. The jist of the rhyme is that no matter how you say it all potatoes are created equal, but the truth of the matter is that all potatoes are not created equal.

What many home cooks do not realize is that potatoes are classified into two basic groups depending on their starch content. It is the starch content of the potato itself which determines which particular recipe and preparation process they are best suited for. The first group is classified as 'waxy or new potatoes', while the second group is classified as 'mature or starchy potatoes'. Knowing which potato to use for a particular dish will really increase the success and quality of the recipe in which you are using the potato for, making the meal more enjoyable.




Waxy Or New Potatoes

Most commonly called 'boiling' potatoes, these waxy potatoes are high in moisture and sugar content, and low in starch content. They are generally smaller in size and round in shape. The most common varieties found on your local grocer's shelves have thin smooth skins that may either be red, white or yellow. They may be labeled as 'New Red Potatoes', or 'Yukon Gold', or simply as red, white, or yellow potatoes. They are best used for boiling and sautéing for use in salads, soups, casseroles, hashed browns, and any preparation in which you want the potato to hold it's shape during the cooking process. Not recommended for deep frying or the making of mashed potatoes because of their high sugar content and waxy texture when prepared this way.


Mature Or Starchy Potatoes

Most commonly called 'baking' potatoes, these potatoes have a low moisture and sugar content, but are high in starch content. They are further subdivided into two basic types 'baker's' and 'all-purpose' potatoes primarily due to their size and shape. As they name implies, mature or starchy potatoes are best used for baking, pureeing or mashing or any preparation in which the shape of the potato is not important. They are not recommended for soups and stews as they will break apart and become mealy when cooked over time.




Baking potatoes (aka Russet's or Idaho's) – Are long regularly shaped potatoes with a slightly rough skin. These are the ideal baking potato and are the potato you get when you order a steak and baked potato at your local steak house. Because of their size, they are usually sold individually by the pound in produce section at your local supermarket. They are the ideal baking potato, and are the best potato for french fries because their high starch content produces an even golden color when fried, and there is little waste due to trimming because of their regular shape. Because of their size and their consistent shape they are the most expensive of the baking potatoes and are not generally used for mashing. Having said that, when I worked in the restaurant, we used to use our left over russet's the next day to make the potato skin appetizers, or 'twice' baked potatoes, baked potato soup, and of course mashed potatoes.

All-Purpose (aka chef potatoes) – Are small or irregularly shaped potatoes with a slightly rough skin. They are the imperfect little brother of the 'Russet' potatoe, or the ones that didn't make the grade whether due to size or shape. Because of their shape and size, they are the least expensive potato you will find on your grocer's shelves. These are the baking potatoes most of us buy at the local grocery store in 5, 10, or 15lb bags. For restaurant use, they are suitable for most purposes except baking (due to their smaller size). At home, however, most cooks (including myself) use them for making baked potatoes, albeit small ones.


Conclusion

Here it is in a nutshell, you have two basic types of potatoes, boilers and bakers. Boiler's are best used for soups, stews, potato salad, and casseroles or dishes in which you want the potato to keep it's shape. Baking potatoes are best used for baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and pan frying or the making of french fries. Most of us buy the all-purpose baking potatoes in the plastic bag because they are inexpensive. In turn, we use them in just about every dish we cook for our friends and family because that is what we have on hand.

I am not saying that you cannot use baking potatoes to make potato salad, my wife and my mother-in-law do so, and they call theirs 'smashed potato salad' because some of the baking potatoes that are boiled lose their shape when mixed together with the rest of the ingredients. Call It what you will, it still takes just great. However, if you want your potatoes to hold their shape when making certain recipes, then knowing how to choose the proper type of potato for each individual recipe will help to ensure your success when preparing the side dish or meal for you and your family to enjoy. 

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