How to Cook Potatoes

Brioche Potatoes

2011-06-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

Brioche potatoes

Prepare a Duchess potato mixture (plain boiled cooked potatoes which are them passed through a sieve or potato ricer, and beaten well with egg yolk and butter or margarine to make a creamy smooth mixture).

Brioche potatoes are basically just 2 little balls of this potato mixture, the smaller one on top to create a brioche or cottage loaf shape.

The larger ball should be around 1" in diameter with the smaller one about a quarter inch.

Put your brioche potato mixture balls together as above and place on a baking sheet.
Place in a hot oven for a few minutes to harden the edges.
Remove form oven and brush all over the beaten egg.
Return to oven and cook until they brown slightly.
Serve.

How to Make Potato Croquettes

2011-06-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Potato Croquettes

To make potato croquettes that will taste much nicer than ready-prepared ones you can buy.

Make a Duchess mixture.
Roll them into croquette shapes about 2" x 4" in diameter.
Take each croquette roll in flour, then beaten egg and finally breadcrumbs.
Set aside until they are all prepared.
If necessary, use a palette knife to remould them back into shape.
Deep fry in hot fat at 185C until they are an even light golden color all over.
Drain well on kitchen paper, and serve in a vegetable dish.

To make a Duchess mixture:

Boil your potatoes.
Drain and allow to dry off.
Either use a potato ricer or a masher to mash your potatoes up.
Add one egg for every 1lb (1/2 kg) of potatoes.
Add butter or margarine at the rate of 1oz per lb of potatoes.
Beat well with a wooden spoon.
Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

2011-05-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Wash, peel and rinse potatoes.
Boil in salted water for 20 minutes.
Drain well.
Cover with lid, and leave potatoes to dry off inside their pan for a few minutes over a low heat.
Move potatoes into a clean pan.
Put potatoes through a ricer, sieve, or potato masher.
Add 1oz of butter for every 1lb of potatoes in pan.
Stir in well with a wooden spoon.
Gradually add about 2 tablespoons of cold milk and stir in well.
Check and adjust seasoning.
Place in a serving dish in a dome shape.
Use a fork to score the surface.

How to Make Riced or Snow Potatoes

2011-05-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

Wash and peel and then rinse the potatoes to remove excess starch.
Boil in salted water for 20 minutes.
Drain well, then place pan lid over potatoes and place on a low heat to dry off the potatoes.
When dry, push the potatoes through a potato ricer or metal sieve directly into a serving dish.

How to make riced potatoes

Oven Chips (French Fries)

2011-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Take 2 lbs of potatoes and wash and peel them.
Slice and then cut again into chip shapes.
Place in a colander and rinse under cold, running water.
Dry inside a clean dish towel.
Place in a bowl or container with oil and shake them around so that they all get a coating.
Put them on to an ovenproof baking tray in a hot oven (200C/400F/gas mark 6) and
Cook for 30 - 35 mins, turning occasionally to brown them evenly.
Place on a serving dish and serve.
Enjoy!

Jacket Potatoes

2011-04-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Choose some even sized potatoes, allowing approx 8oz per portion.
Scrub your potatoes without peeling (obviously).
Place on a baking tray on top of some salt in a hot oven. 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 for about an hour.
You know they are ready because they are soft to squeeze. If still hard, leave for a bit longer. They can take up to an hour and half to cook.
When ready, remove from oven and place on a serving plate.
Split them open and add a topping of your choice.
Butter is gorgeous on a baked jacket potato.

How to Make Duchess Potatoes

2011-04-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Now why anyone would want to go to the bother of making Duchess potatoes, I'll never know! Duchess potatoes are basically just mashed potatoes put through a piping bag so that they make pretty little raised mounds which are then slightly browned in the oven to crisp them up. I reckon some cook invented Duchess potatoes (for some Duchess no doubt) in the Middle ages or some other time in history when there was nothing else to eat bar potatoes!

Anyway you will want to take your cooked potatoes and mash them. It is a good idea to put them through a special potato ricer and this really smooths all the lumps out.
Then add 1 egg yolk for every pound of potatoes you are cooking, and beat in well with a wooden spoon to make a really smooth paste.
Mix in a little margarine or butter.
Then scoop the mixture into a piping bag with a 1 inch sized nozzle.
Then squeeze the bag so that some of the mixture comes out on to a greased baking tray. I imagine this takes a bit of practice to perfect. I wouldn't know, I have never owned a piping bag. Too footery for my kitchen.
Anyway, you want those little mounds to be about 2" high. Fill the tray with as many as you can make, and stick in a hot oven for a few minutes just to harden the edges a little, so that you can add some beaten egg without it all collapsing.
Return to oven and bake until it is lightly browned.

How to Make Microwave Potato Snacks

2011-04-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Take one raw potato and peel it under running water.
Dry in cloth.
Thinly slice it using a knife or a potato peeler if you don't feel you can slice it really thinly.
Spray a little oil on to a microwaveable plate.
If you don't have an oil sprayer, add some oil and swirl it around so that the whole plate has a coating.
Lay your potato slices singly on the plate and dust with spices off your preference, or even just salt.
Place in microwave and cook on full power for about 3 minutes.
I found that 2 and half minutes does it - it depends on the strength of power of your microwave.

Remove, drain on kitchen paper and eat immediately.

You can dip the potato slices in vinegar and add salt before microwaving for salt and vinegar crisps.

Or for something completely different, use chilli powder or any other seasonings you have in the cupboard.

How to Make French Fries

2011-04-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Peel and wash potatoes.
Slice lengthways, then turn and slice them into chip shapes.
You can make them as fat or as thin as you want but which ever way you cut them, make sure they are all of a similar size, else some will be ready before the others.
Once they are cut into shape, place in a colander and rinse well under a running tap to remove all the starch.
Dry well in a cloth. This is important. Wet chips will make the hot fat or oil splatter all over the place.
Heat your oil until it is hot enough for a single chip to start bubbling the moment you put it in the hot fat.
Then put all your prepared chips in and fry until golden brown.
If you are running a commercial kitchen or serving a dinner party, you can simply put your chips into fry for a few minutes, then remove from pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper placed on a baking tray.
Later when the chips are required, put them back into the hot fat to brown. Drain and serve.

If you prefer crinkle cut French fries, you can simply cut the potatoes with a fluted knife

How to Roast Potatoes

2011-04-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

You want to set the oven 220C.

Select potatoes of roughly the same size, else cut them to the same size after peeling and rinsing them.
If you have cut any, rinse the cut ends and dry well in a cloth.
Meanwhile heat some fat up on a baking or roasting tray in the oven.
Add the potatoes, and scoop the hot fat over them.
Add salt to the potatoes.
Turn after half an hour or whenever you remember.
After about an hour they should be evenly brown all over.
Remove from oven and drain on kitchen paper.

Now if you're anything me and a bit of a scatterbrain, you probably only remembered that you wanted to make roast potatoes as you are peeling your vegetables, half an hour away from dinner time.

In this case

Boil your evenly sized potatoes in a pot of salted water, and when they are ready, drain well and leave over low heat to dry out.
Meanwhile heat up the oil in a deep fat fryer and when hot, odd your potatoes one by one and fry until golden brown.
Drain well on kitchen paper before serving.

Alternatively, if you have the time, par-boil your potatoes. This means boil them for a few minutes to heat then through thoroughly and start the cooking process. Then drain and add to hot oil on a baking tray in the oven and cook as normal. This will slightly shorten the roasting time which is normally an hour.

How to Boil Potatoes

2011-04-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Peel and wash potatoes.
Cut them into even-sized pieces, allowing 3 or 4 per portion.
Wash any cut ends to remove starch.
Place in a pot.
Add enough cold water to cover potatoes, and a teaspoon of salt.
Bring to boil.
Cover the with saucepan lid and reduce heat to simmer.
Check after 20 minutes and if you slice a knife through them easily, they are ready.
If not, leave for a few minutes more.
Drain well, and serve.

Potatoes

2011-04-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

So you thought the humble potato make a nice accompaniment to a meal. Maybe you usually boil or roast potatoes, or occasionally turn them into chips. But there is so much more you can do with a potato. Read on to see.
Coming soon.