Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C HAPTER 12 POTATOES

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. P OTATOES In most nations, starch is the mainstay of the diet. In North America and Europe, the most important starches are: –Potatoes –Rice –Pasta –Bread K EY P OINTS

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES The potato wasn’t widely used until the last half of the eighteenth century. –An army pharmacist named Antoine-Auguste Parmentier began promoting its use. Botanically, the potato is a tuber: –An enlarged underground stem with buds or eyes that become new shoots Potatoes are traditionally classified as: –Starchy, low-moisture varieties –Waxy, high-moisture varieties K EY P OINTS

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Waxy potatoes –High moisture; high sugar; low starch content –Hold shape well when cooked –Firm, moist texture –Use for: Boiling whole; for salads; soups; hash browns Any preparation where the potato must hold its shape T YPES

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Mature or starchy potatoes –Low moisture; low sugar; high starch content –Light, dry and mealy when cooked –Types: Russets or Idahos: long, regularly shaped potatoes with slightly rough skin All-purpose potatoes: not as dry and starchy as russets –Irregularly shaped –Less expensive than russets –Suitable for most purposes; not usually used for baking TYPES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES New Potato –Not all small potatoes are new potatoes. –Not all new potatoes are small. –Any potato harvested before it is mature, while leaves and stems are still green, is a new potato. –They have a lower starch content and tender, thin skin. –They are shipped and sold as soon as they are harvested. V ARIETIES

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Yellow-fleshed potatoes –Yukon Gold –Yellow Finn –Bintje (waxy) –Butte (fairly starchy) –Concord (waxy) –Charlotte (waxy) –Island Sunshine (medium starch) VARIETIES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Red-skinned varieties –May have white, pink, or yellow flesh –Most of them are of the waxy type Red Bliss All-Red (pink flesh) Early Ohio (white flesh) Early Rose (white flesh) Rose Gold (yellow flesh VARIETIES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Blue-skinned, white-fleshed varieties –When cooked, the skins may keep their color or turn brown, grayish, or another color, depending on the variety. –Several varieties are grown, including: Blue Pride Caribe Kerry Blue VARIETIES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Blue- or purple-fleshed varieties –A novelty item among potatoes –May be waxy or somewhat starchy, depending on the variety Peruvian Blue/Purple Peruvian –Dark violet flesh that lightens somewhat when cooked All-Blue –Purple or reddish purple flesh that becomes lavender when cooked VARIETIES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Fingerling Potatoes –Fingerling potatoes are small potatoes, usually firm and waxy, with a long, narrow shape. –Most popular fingerlings are yellow-skinned and yellow-fleshed. –Available varieties are: Austrian Crescent (yellow) French Fingerling (red skin, yellow flesh) Russian Banana (yellow) La Ratte (yellow) Ruby Crescent (pinkish yellow skin, yellow flesh) Red Thumb (red skin, pink flesh) VARIETIES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Look for these signs of high-quality potatoes: –Firm and smooth, not soft or shriveled –Dry skin –Shallow eyes –No sprouts (sprouting potatoes are high in sugar) –No green color –Absence of cracks, blemishes, and rotten spots C HECKING FOR Q UALITY

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Keep potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place, ideally at 55º– 60ºF (13º–16ºC). Do not refrigerate. Temperatures below 45ºF (7ºC) convert potato starch to sugar. Refrigerated potatoes must be stored at 50ºF (10ºC) for two weeks to change the sugar back to starch. S TORING AND H ANDLING

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES New potatoes do not keep well. – Purchase only one week’s supply at a time. Potatoes begin to turn brown as soon as they are peeled. –To prevent browning, place peeled potatoes in cold water immediately. Remove all green parts when peeling potatoes. STORING AND HANDLING (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. U NDERSTANDING P OTATOES Fresh; unprocessed Peeled; treated to prevent browning Canned whole; cooked French fries; blanched in deep fat and frozen Other frozen, prepared products Dehydrated M ARKET F ORMS

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES Potatoes are peeled or left unpeeled for boiling and steaming. –For most purposes, they are peeled. Potatoes cooked with the skins on and peeled after cooking are best peeled while they are still hot. –The skins pull off more easily. BOILING AND STEAMING POTATOES

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES Two additional points should be noted: –Boiled potatoes are generally started in cold water rather than hot. This allows for more even cooking and heat penetration from outside to inside during the relatively long cooking time required. –Potatoes are never cooled in cold water, unlike most vegetables. This would make them soggy. BOILING AND STEAMING POTATOES (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES The basis of many popular preparations –Starchy potatoes are usually used for purées. The flesh of starchy potatoes breaks apart easily and can absorb large quantities of butter, milk, and other enriching ingredients. –Avoid excessive mixing of potato purée. Too much whipping or mixing damages cell walls, releasing excess starch that makes the purée glue- like in texture. POTATO PURÉE

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES A baked potato should be white, fluffy, mealy, steamy, and have a skin that crackles when pressed. Russets are the potato of choice but many varieties can make a great baked potato. B AKING

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES Potatoes mixed or tossed while cooking: –Potatoes are cut into pieces or into small shapes and cooked in a small amount of fat. –They are turned or tossed in the pan so they brown on all sides. SAUTÉING AND PAN-FRYING

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES Potatoes cooked and served in compact cakes: –The potatoes are not mixed while cooking, but are made into cakes, which are browned on both sides. SAUTÉING AND PAN-FRYING (CONT’D)

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES There are two kinds of deep-fried potato preparations: –Potatoes fried raw Potatoes that are simply cut into shapes and deep- fried until golden and crispy. –Preparations made from cooked, puréed potatoes Most of these products are made from duchesse potato mixture. D EEP -F RYING

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. C OOKING P OTATOES Most French fries served are made from blanched, frozen product. The common practice is to blanch them in frying fat: –This is done at a lower temperature so they cook through without browning. –They are then drained and refrigerated until service time. –Portions can then be finished to order in a few minutes. F RENCH F RIES

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. R ECIPE P RONUNCIATIONS Pommes Natures Colcannon Ancho Mashed Potatoes Duchesse Potatoes Gratin Dauphinoise Boulangère Potatoes Rissolé Potatoes Parisienne and Noisette Potatoes Château Potatoes

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. R ECIPE P RONUNCIATIONS Rösti Potatoes Lyonnaise Potatoes Allumette Potatoes Waffle or Gaufrette Potatoes Dauphine Potatoes