Culinary notes

POTATOES

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The potato is starchy tuberous crop, the most versatile of foods. Each technique in cooking the potato produces markedly different texture, flavour and appearance.

Potatoes are of two types

  • Waxy/ new potato – high in moisture & sugar, less in starch Eg: Yellow, white potato.
  • Mature/ Starchy potato– low in moisture &sugar, high in Starch Eg: russet potato

Facts

  • The higher the starch, more the granular and dry the potato after cooking. These potatoes are ideal for baking and frying because of the less moisture
  • The flesh will be easier to mash/flake. The starch content of potatoes will increase with age.
  • Potatoes with moderate amount of starch and moisture are ideal for braising, salads and casserole type dishes. They tend to retain its shape even after tendering and are good for sautéing.
  • The term new potatoes apply to any variety that has been harvested when small. The skins of these potatoes need not to be removed while cooking or eating. These potatoes have low starch, high moisture and high sugar content which makes it ideal for steaming and boiling.
  • The green spots on the potato are the presence of a toxin called solanine, which is present in its sprouts. Large quantity consumption of this will leads to health problems.
  • Potatoes will discolour when it expose to air after peeling due to the oxidation happens with the atmospheric oxygen.
  • Potato dishes are normally serves as an accompaniment for meat dishes in western cuisine.
  • The word “potato” comes from the Haitian word “batata”, which was their name for a sweet potato. This later came to Spanish as “patata”
  • The potato was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern Peru and extreme north western Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC.
  • The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum, an American chef whose guest complaint that the French fries were too thick.

Major potato dishes

  1. NATURE POTATO: Medium sized potato boiled in salt water and served along with skin and seasoned melted butter.
  2. HERB POTATO: Boiled or steamed potatoes tossed in butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, lime juice and chopped herbs like parsley.
  3. CHAMPS POTATO: Well cooked boiled potato peeled and served with herb flavoured cheese; suitable for fish dishes.
  4. MASHED POTATO: Cook potato until mash and pass through a sieve. Seasoned with butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Finished with parsley, grated cheese and served with egg, grilled meat etc.
  5. CREAMED POTATO: Mashed potato enriched with egg yolk and beaten cream. Serves with poached fish, egg etc.
  6. DUCHESSE POTATO: Mashed potato mixed with egg yolk, seasoned and piped into baking tray and baked until golden brown.
  7. CROQUETTES POTATO: Mashed potato seasoned and made into cylinder shape and crumbed fried into golden brown.(egg coated)
  8. MARQUISE POTATO:Mashed potato seasoned and mix with tomato puree and made croquettes
  9. BERNY POTATO: Mashed potato with egg yolk& truffle puree. Rolled and crumb fried.
  10. LYONNAISE POTATO:  Sliced potato cooked with onion slices
  11. CHATEAUX POTATO:Turned potato into olive shaped cooked and baked
  12. HONGROISE POTATO: Roundels of cooked potato with chopped onion, tomato concasse and topped with paprika powder.
  13. PONT NEUF POTATO : Potato cut into 2 ½ “ length & 1” width and deep fried (thicker French fries)
  14. GRATINE POTATO :Mashed potato with butter, milk, nutmeg topped with cheese and gratinated.
  15. ALLUMETTE POTATO: Potato cut into matchstick and deep fried.
  16. ROSTI POTATO: Grated parboiled potato, made into patty and frie
  17. ANNA POTATO :  Thin sliced parboiled potato arranged and baked with butter
  18. PARMENTEIR POTATO: Cubes of cooked potato sautéed with butter & parsley
  19. JACKET POTATO :Baked potato topped with sour cream and chives.
  20. FONDANT POTATO: Cylindrical shaped potato cooked and sautéed

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