Mastering Potatoes: Selection, Storage & Cooking Techniques

1. 11 Potatoes & Grains 11.1 Potatoes

2. Objectives • Outline methods to select receive, and store potatoes • Describe physical properties of potatoes • Distinguish between various forms of potatoes • Using a variety of recipes and cooking techniques, prepare potatoes

3. Terms

4. Potatoes • Native to North and South America • 15th century, Francisco Pizarro • Staple in many countries: inexpensive, nourishing and easy to grow • Average American eats nearly 50# annually

5. Potatoes • Tuber: fleshy portion of certain plants that usually grows underground

6. Potatoes, Types • Mealy: high starch/low moisture, includes russets, Burbank, Idaho. Tend toward dry and granular after cooking, use for baking pureeing, mashing and frying

7. Potatoes • Waxy: low starch/high moisture, includes red skinned, yellow, [all-purpose, chef’s are slightly drier], boiling, and heirloom such as purple. Tend to hold shape after cooking, use for boiling, steaming, sautéing, oven roasting, braise, stew, soup, salad • New potatoes < 1 ½-2 inches in diameter are high in moisture

8. Potatoes, Types • Yams: starchier, less sweet, rougher skin, blocky in shape, pale to deep yellow flesh • Sweet potatoes: lower starch, smoother skin, tapered ends, deep orange flesh • Like russets, yams and sweet potatoes tend toward higher starch, lower moisture

9. Potatoes • Starch test • Prepare brine, 11 parts water to 1 part salt (by weight). Floaters contain less starch

10. Potatoes, Select/Store • Choose potatoes that are firm and relatively smooth • Potatoes exposed to light develop a greenish color indicating solanine, a bitter tasting, harmful substance. Sprouts contain solanine.

11. Potatoes, Select/Store • Store potatoes cool, dry, out of sun, good ventilation. (45-55 degrees F.) • Russet and all-purpose: 30 days • New/immature: 1 week • As potatoes age, the starch content increases

12. Potatoes, Cook • Single-stage technique: taken from raw state to finished state using 1 cooking method • Boiled, baked, steamed • Multiple-stage technique: using more than 1 method • Lyonnaise potatoes: precooked, sliced, then fried with onions

13. Potatoes, Cook • Boiling • One of the easiest methods • Often first step for other preparations • Puréed potatoes • Mashed/whipped • Duchesse • Croquettes

14. Potatoes, Cook • Boiling • Place washed potatoes in a pot of cold water, enough liquid to cover. Bring water to boil and simmer until done • Done when fork pierces, then then slides easily through potato • Serve immediately or hold up to one hour

15. Potatoes, Cook • Steaming • Good for new potatoes because of high moisture content

16. Potatoes, Cook • Baked • Served and skins • Idaho/russet • oil to keep skin soft • wrapping in foil makes inside less fluffy, and steams potato • Baked potatoes should be scrubbed clean and pierced with fork

17. Potatoes, Cook • En casserole: potato dishes combine peeled and sliced raw potatoes with heavy cream, sauce, or uncooked custard and are then slowly baked in a buttered pan • Often topped with bread crumbs, butter, grated cheese and then broiled briefly • Hold well on serving line

18. Potatoes, Cook • Chef’s potatoes are the best for sautéing • Irregularly shaped, less expensive

19. Potatoes, Cook • Deep-fried • Russet/low moisture • Often blanched (325°F.), refrigerated, then finished (375°F.) at time of service • Do not hold well

20. Potatoes, Cook • Potato pancakes are made with grated potatoes and other ingredients, and their pan-fried to a crispy brown • Latkes are American-Jewish version and traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream

21. Potatoes, Cook • Puréed • Include mashed, whipped, Duchesse, croquettes • Whenever possible, Cook potatoes in their skins to retain their nutrients • Peeled potatoes should be completely covered in a liquid to prevent discoloring