4.2: Purchasing, storing and preparing potatoes

Purchasing and Storing Potatoes

Mealy versus Waxy

One of the most important considerations in selecting potatoes is choosing between the mealy and waxy varieties. It is important to understand the differences and purchase the type of potatoes best suited to the type of dish being prepared. Mealy potatoes (also known as starchy potatoes) have a high starch content and thick skin. They are best for baking and are often ordered from suppliers simply as "bakers." Their low sugar content also allows them to be deep-fried long enough to fully cook the interior without burning the exterior. Mealy potatoes tend to fall apart when boiled, making them a good choice for whipped or pureed potatoes.

Waxy potatoes have a low starch content and thin skin. They are best for boiling. They will not develop the desired fluffy texture when baked. They tend to become limp and soggy when deep-fried because of their high moisture content.

Grading

Like other vegetables, potatoes are subject to the voluntary USDA grading system. Although U.S. Fancy is the highest grade, most potatoes sold on the wholesale market are U.S. No. 1. Potatoes sold on the retail market can also be graded as either U.S. Gracie A or U.S. Gracie B.

Purchasing

Potatoes are usually packed in 50-pound cartons. Count s vary depending on average potato size. For example, in a 100-count carton, each potato would weigh an average of 8 ounces. Eighty-, 90- and 100-count cartons are the most common. Generally, larger-sized potatoes (that is, smaller counts) are more expensive. Size does not affect quality, however, so the size selected should be determined by intended use.

Storing

Temperatures between 50°F and 65°F (10°C and 18°C) are best for storing potatoes. Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. At temperatures below 40°F (4°C), potato starch turns to sugar, making the cooked product too sweet and increasing the risk that the potato will turn gray or streaky when cooked. Potatoes with a high sugar content also burn more easily when fried.

Potatoes should be stored in a dark room, as light promotes chlorophyll production, turning them green and bitter. A green patch indicates the possible presence of solanine; a toxin harmful if eaten in large amounts, and should be peeled away. Solanine is also present in the eyes and sprouts, and they should be removed and discarded before cooking.

Under proper conditions, fresh baking or general-purpose potatoes should last for two months; new potatoes will keep for several weeks. Do not wash potatoes until ready to use, as washing promotes spoilage.

Once peeled, potatoes should be stored cove red in water and refrigerated to prevent enzymatic browning.

***Cooked potato dishes, especially those with cream, butter or custard, are potentially hazardous foods. They must be held for service at l 35°F (57°C) or higher. Be sure to reheat potato dishes to l 65°F (74°C) or higher.

Applying Various Cooking Methods

Potatoes have a relatively neutral flavor, making them a perfect accompaniment to many savory dishes. They can be prepared with almost any dry- or moist-heat cooking method: baking, sautéing, pan-frying, deep-frying, boiling or steaming. They can be combined with other ingredients in braises and stews. Potatoes are used in soups (vichyssoise), dumplings (gnocchi), breads, pancakes (latkes), puddings, salads and even vodka.

Many potato dishes, both classic and modern, employ more than one cooking method. For example, hash browns require parboiling, then sautéing. Even French fries are best when first blanched in hot oil before final deep-frying.

Determining Doneness

Most potatoes are considered done when they are soft and tender or offer little resistance when pierced with a knife tip. Fried potatoes should have a crisp, golden-brown surface; the interior should be moist and tender.

Roasting and Baking

Potatoes are often roasted with meat or poultry, becoming coated with the fat and drippings released from the main item as it cooks. Either mealy or waxy potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, can be roasted successfully.

Mealy potatoes such as russets are ideal for baking. The skin is left intact, although it may be pierced with a fork to allow steam to escape. A true baked potato should not be wrapped in foil or cooked in a microwave; this changes the cooking method to steaming and prevents a crisp skin from forming. A properly baked potato should be white and fluffy, not yellowish or soggy. Once baked, potatoes can be eaten plain (or with butter, sour cream and other garnishes) or used in other recipes.

Procedure for Baking Potatoes

1. Scrub the potatoes well.
2. Using a fork, pierce the potato skins.
3. Rub the potatoes with oil and salt if desired. Do not wrap them in foil.
4. Bake the potatoes until clone. A paring knife should penetrate them easily.

Twice-Baked Potatoes (Yield: 16 Servings) - Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving the skins intact. Whip the potato flesh with 8 ounces (240 grams) sour cream, 2 ounces (60 grams) butter and 2 ounces (60 grams) cooked, crumbled bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste. Thin with hot milk if necessary. The mixture should be light and fluffy, not lumpy. Pile the filling back into the skins, mounding the tops. Brush the mounded potatoes with clarified butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake at 425°F (220°C) until thoroughly reheated and lightly browned.

Baking en Casserole

Many classic potato dishes require baking either raw or parboil e d potatoes with sauce, cheese, meat or other seasonings in a baking dish or casserole. Wellknown examples include scalloped potatoes , which are baked in béchamel sauce, and potatoes au gratin, which are topped with cheese and baked. These dishes usually develop a crisp, brown crust, which is part of their appeal. The casserole should hold its shape when cut; the potatoes should be tender, and the sauce should be smooth, not grainy. Potato casseroles can be fully baked then held loosely covered in a steam table for service. Portions can be reheated or browned briefly under a broiler or salamander at service time.

Procedure for Baking Potatoes En Casserole

1. Prepare the potatoes by washing, peeling, slicing or partially cooking as desired or as directed in the recipe.
2. Add the potatoes to the baking pan in layers, alternating with the sauce, cream, cheese or other ingredients. Alternatively, combine the potatoes with the other ingredients and place in a buttered baking pan.
3. Bake the potatoes until done.

Sauteing and Pan-frying

Waxy potatoes, such as red- and white-skinned varieties, are best for sautéing or pan-frying. Often they are first parboiled or even fully cooked - a convenient way to use leftover boiled potatoes. They are then cooked in fat following the general procedures for sautéing and pan-frying. The fat can be clarified butter, oil, bacon fat or lard, depending on the desired flavor of the finished dish. The fat must be hot before the potatoes are added so that they will develop a crust without absorbing too much fat. Sauteed potatoes should have a crisp, well-browned crust and tender interior. They should be neither soggy nor greasy.

Potatoes can be sautéed or pan-fried by two method: tossing and still-frying. The tossing method is used to cook relatively small pieces of potatoes in a small amount of fat. The potatoes are tossed using the pan's sloped sides so that they brown evenly on all sides. The still-frying method is used to create a disc-shaped potato product. The shredded or sliced potatoes are added to the pan, usually covering its bottom, and allowed to cook without stirring or flipping until they are well browned on the first side. The entire mass is then turned and cooked on the second side. When the potatoes are done, they can be cut into wedges for service.

Deep Frying

Potato chips and French fries are extremely popular in a variety of shapes, sizes and seasonings. Although a wide range of shapes, sizes and pre-seasoned frozen products are available, fresh fried potatoes can be a delicious, economical menu item.

Top-quality russet potatoes are recommended for deep- frying. The peel may be removed, or left attached. If peeled, the potatoes should be soaked in clear, cold water until ready to cut and cook. This keeps them crisp and white by leaching some of the starch that might otherwise make the potatoes gummy or cause smaller cuts to stick together when cooked.

Deep-fried potatoes are usually blanched in oil ranging in temperature from 250°F to 300°F (120°C to 150°C) until tender and translucent. They are then drained, and held for service, at which time they are finished in hotter oil, usually at a temperature between 350°F and 375°F (180°C and 190°C).

Deep-frying is also used to finish cooking several classic potato dishes such as croquettes and dauphine, in which fully cooked potatoes are pureed, seasoned, shaped and fried. Deep-fried potatoes should be drained on absorbent paper briefly and served immediately.

Procedure for Deep-frying Potatoes

1. Wash, peel or trim the potatoes as desired.
2. Cut the potatoes into uniform-sized pieces.
3. Using the basket method, blanch the potatoes in deep fat at 250°F (121°C) for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.
4. Drain the potatoes and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a hotel pan.
5. Just before service, submerge the potatoes in deep fat at 350°F- 375°F ( l 77°C- 191°C), using the basket method.
6. Cook until golden brown. Remove from the fat, drain, salt to taste and serve immediately.

More than a french fry

Thanks to the genius of Careme, Escoffier and others, few vegetables have as extensive a classic repertoire as potatoes. Some of these dishes begin with the duchesse potatoes mixture; in this regard, duchesse potatoes can be considered the mother of many classic potato preparations. For example,

Duchesse + Tomato concassee = Marquis
Duchesse + Chopped truffles + Almond coating + Deep-frying = Berny
Duchesse + Shaping + Breading + Deep-frying = Croquettes
Duchesse + Pate a choux = Dauphine
Dauphine + Grated Parmesan + Piped shape + Deep-frying = Lorette

Other classic potato preparations not based on duchesse potatoes include the following:

Anna - Thin potato slices are arranged in several circular layers in a round pan coated with clarified butter; additional butter is brushed on, and the potatoes are baked until crisp, and then cut into wedges for service.
Boulangere - Onions and potatoes are sautéed in butter, then transferred to a baking pan or added to a partially cooked roast in a roasting pan; stock is added, and the potatoes are cooked uncovered until done.
Chateau - Tourneed potatoes are sautéed in clarified butter until golden and tender.
Parisienne - Small spheres are cut from raw, peeled potatoes with a Parisienne scoop; they are seasoned and sautéed in clarified butter then tossed with a meat glaze and garnished with chopped parsley.
Rosti - Potatoes are shredded, seasoned and pan-fried in the shape of a pie, then cut into wedges for service.

Boiling

Waxy potatoes are best for all moist-heat cooking methods. Boiled potatoes (which are actually simmered) may be served ‘as is’, or used in multi-step preparations such as purees, salads, soup s and baked casseroles. Potatoes are usually boiled in water, although stock may be used or milk added for flavor. Always begin cooking potatoes in cold liquid to ensure even cooking. Unlike other vegetables, potatoes should not be refreshed in cold water; it makes them soggy.

Procedure for Boiling Potatoes

1. Wash, peel or trim the potatoes as desired.
2. Cut the potatoes into uniform-sized pieces to promote even cooking. The pieces should not be too small, or they will absorb a large amount of water as they cook, making the final product soggy.
3. Add the potatoes to enough cool liquid to cover them by several inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until done. If a slightly firm finished product is desired, remove and drain the potatoes when they are slightly underdone and allow carryover cooking to fin is h cooking them.
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander and serve or use for further preparation.