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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