A short history of potatoes
Potatoes are native to South America, and have been a life-sustaining staple for South American peoples for millennia. They were purple in colour back when Spanish explorers sailed them over to Europe, and later on in Ireland, failing potato crops launched a wave of Irish immigration to North America. Remember back in the '90s how the simple, benign potato revealed to the world that Dan Quayle just wasn’t US presidential material? Too young to remember? He was publicly humiliated while taking part in a grade school spelling bee. He added an ‘e’ to "potato". Oops. He was dropped like a…ahem…hot potato.
So, class, we’ve established that potatoes have a rich and fascinating history and they're major players on the world stage. But most importantly, potatoes are darn versatile, nutritious and delicious any way you slice them.
Here are some of the most delicious uses for potatoes:
1. Boiled and smashed
This is the simplest treatment and a great way to show off the pure, delicious flavour of your potatoes.
Easy method: Just wash, cut in half and boil until a knife slides into the flesh easily. Drain and let dry for a moment. Tumble onto a platter or into a shallow bowl, smash with the back of a fork, then drizzle with olive oil. Add a sprinkling of sea salt, a grinding of fresh pepper and if you want, a few shaving of Parmigano or pecorino cheese. If there’s gravy or warm broth on the table, that’s a delicious addition too.
2. Mashed
Who doesn’t love buttery, creamy mashed potatoes? It’s the ultimate in comfort and they can be as simple or as elegant as you make them.
Best mashing basics:
1) Once drained, put the potatoes back into the pot over the lowest heat possible to evaporate any water. Give the pot a couple of good shakes.
2) Hand-mashing or using a potato ricer gives the fluffiest results.
3) Heat your liquid—milk, cream, broth—before adding it to the potatoes.
Tip: Mashed potatoes can be made ahead and frozen, provided they contain enough butter, cream or oil.
Page 1 of 3 - discover how to make restaurant-quality mashed potatoes plus potato salad tricks on page 2 >>
