“For the most part, a whole potato is a whole potato is a whole potato”
June 28, 2019 10:18 PM Subscribe
Previously, Bon Appetit editor Amiel Stanek took us through every way to cook a chicken breast1
and every way to cook an egg.2 Previously
At last, the next installment of the saga is here: Every Way To Cook A Potato.3
___ ___
1. 32 ways
2. 59 ways
3. 63 ways
At last, the next installment of the saga is here: Every Way To Cook A Potato.3
___ ___
1. 32 ways
2. 59 ways
3. 63 ways
- Raw Potato
- Juiced Potato
- Baked Potato
- Twice-Baked Potato
- Salt-Baked Potato
- Roasted Potato
- Boiled and Roasted Potato
- Scalloped Potato
- En Papillote Potato
- Hasselback Potato
- Steamed Potato
- Instant Pot Potato
- Boiled Potatoes, Three Ways
- Hand Mashed Potatoes
- Riced Mashed Potatoes
- Stand Mixer Mashed Potatoes
- Food-Processor Mashed Potatoes
- Pommes Purée
- Duchess Potatoes
- Microwave Potato
- Pocket Potato
- Pickled Potato
- Fried Potato
- Once-Fried French Fries, Two Ways
- Twice-Fried French Fries
- Frozen French Fries
- Tater Tots
- Potato Chips
- Pommes Souffles (ed note: A failure)
- Pan-Fried (Smashed) Potatoes
- Home Fries 1.0 (ed note :a.k.a Diced Potatoes 1.0)
- Home Fries 2.0 (ed note: a.k.a Diced Potatoes 2.0)
- Hash Browns
- Pommes Anna
- Stir Fry Potato
- Dehydrated Potato
- George Forman Potato
- Waffle-Iron Potato
- Rotisserie Potato
- Sous-Vide Potato
- Dishwasher Potato
- Rollie Potato
- Slow Cooker Potato
- Air-Fried Potato
- Air-Fried French Fries
- Grilled Potato, Four Ways
- Potato On A Stick
- Coal-Roasted Potato, Three Ways
- Cast-Iron Cooker Potato
- Smoked Potato
- Blowtorched Potato
- Car Engine Potato
- Electrocuted Potato
- Electrocuted Pickled Potato
This man cannot mash a potato. This is like someone had just been presented with a potato and kitchen implements for the first time and then experimented. Ffs. Nope.
posted by bigZLiLk at 11:37 PM on June 28, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by bigZLiLk at 11:37 PM on June 28, 2019 [4 favorites]
He seems wildly inconsistent with his seasonings. For the "En Papillote Potato" his conclusion is "this would be much more delicious if there were other seasonings in there" and you know what dude you are right, maybe try putting some in there.
This video is a lot of fun though, and those boiled and roasted potatoes look great
posted by JDHarper at 11:45 PM on June 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
This video is a lot of fun though, and those boiled and roasted potatoes look great
posted by JDHarper at 11:45 PM on June 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
OH maybe someone can help me: I have a really clear memory of a country manor man (probably bearded) showing how you cook can a steak in between two other steaks. I think it was all straight in the embers of a stone fireplace. The 'spare' steaks are burnt and chucked, the middle one eaten.
It's the most bizarre, pointless and probably disgusting (?) way to cook a steak but I definitely want to see it again.
I suspect the cook had dogs, big ones.
posted by litleozy at 11:50 PM on June 28, 2019 [8 favorites]
It's the most bizarre, pointless and probably disgusting (?) way to cook a steak but I definitely want to see it again.
I suspect the cook had dogs, big ones.
posted by litleozy at 11:50 PM on June 28, 2019 [8 favorites]
OH maybe someone can help me: I have a really clear memory of a country manor man (probably bearded) showing how you cook can a steak in between two other steaks. I think it was all straight in the embers of a stone fireplace. The 'spare' steaks are burnt and chucked, the middle one eaten.That was famously Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's recipe for steak. There are layers of mustard between the three steaks.
posted by kickingtheground at 12:09 AM on June 29, 2019 [8 favorites]
Oh god, my secret must come out: I am addicted to Bon Appetit's videos. I'm going through a bout of insomnia, and once I've exhausted hope of sleeping, my late-night viewing is any number of BA videos. I wouldn't be so ashamed, except I seem to be squarely in their target demographic, with the exception of being broke instead of having a well-paying career. But like, even their Healthyish articles about being in your 30s sort of resonated with me. And a bunch of them are almost exactly my age! Which I know because once or twice someone has mentioned how old they are (I happen to have seen this because I have consumed so, so much content).
I've been keeping it a secret... mostly because it's not a very interesting fact about me. But seriously. I feel like I know all the people in the test kitchen, which is shameful because these videos are directed to make me feel like I know them, even though I definitely don't. I hate that I'm being targeted so effectively. Jesus Christ, what does it say about me that I'm hooked on videos of Millennials cooking and baking fine foods?
On the plus side, now I know how to make a pretty good fettucine alfredo.
Anyway, I kind of like these Amiel videos (in my imagination, we're on a first-name basis), but I feel like they're going for more weird gimmicky stuff than I'd like. I'd be much happier with just a bunch of straightforward attempts to make potatoes a bunch of ways. So I don't dislike them -- I mean, they're pretty entertaining considering how long you wind up watching someone cook potatoes -- but I don't like them as much as the recipe videos. Although now I do kind of want to try boiling then roasting potatoes.
Well, time to go back to what I was about to do before I tabbed over to MetaFilter. What was I about to do? I was about to watch Molly (also on a first-name basis) make orecchiette. What have I become.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 12:15 AM on June 29, 2019 [28 favorites]
I've been keeping it a secret... mostly because it's not a very interesting fact about me. But seriously. I feel like I know all the people in the test kitchen, which is shameful because these videos are directed to make me feel like I know them, even though I definitely don't. I hate that I'm being targeted so effectively. Jesus Christ, what does it say about me that I'm hooked on videos of Millennials cooking and baking fine foods?
On the plus side, now I know how to make a pretty good fettucine alfredo.
Anyway, I kind of like these Amiel videos (in my imagination, we're on a first-name basis), but I feel like they're going for more weird gimmicky stuff than I'd like. I'd be much happier with just a bunch of straightforward attempts to make potatoes a bunch of ways. So I don't dislike them -- I mean, they're pretty entertaining considering how long you wind up watching someone cook potatoes -- but I don't like them as much as the recipe videos. Although now I do kind of want to try boiling then roasting potatoes.
Well, time to go back to what I was about to do before I tabbed over to MetaFilter. What was I about to do? I was about to watch Molly (also on a first-name basis) make orecchiette. What have I become.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 12:15 AM on June 29, 2019 [28 favorites]
Although now I do kind of want to try boiling then roasting potatoes.
I would strongly recommend that you do. My dad's method, which seems pretty standard when I am cooked roasted potatoes these days (in the UK, anyway), but I remember being bleeding edge, cookery magazine potato technique back in the 80s, is something like... cook quartered potatoes a good 6-8 minutes in boiling water (in this case it's actually good to go straight into boiling water, because ideally the centre will stay pretty much raw) before roasting in sunflower oil or other suitable fat at a very high heat for 30ish minutes in a preheated heavy roasting tray. The only "finesse" is to give the parboiled and drained potatoes a vigorous shake back in the saucepan, with the lid on, before adding to the roasting fat. Breaking up and roughening the surface of the potatoes increases the total amount of potato that undergoes browning, so you get a better flavour and crispier outside.
Like I say, this feels like one of those techniques that's been slowly becoming a norm, but maybe that's just my subjective impression. Anyone else?
posted by howfar at 1:43 AM on June 29, 2019 [12 favorites]
I would strongly recommend that you do. My dad's method, which seems pretty standard when I am cooked roasted potatoes these days (in the UK, anyway), but I remember being bleeding edge, cookery magazine potato technique back in the 80s, is something like... cook quartered potatoes a good 6-8 minutes in boiling water (in this case it's actually good to go straight into boiling water, because ideally the centre will stay pretty much raw) before roasting in sunflower oil or other suitable fat at a very high heat for 30ish minutes in a preheated heavy roasting tray. The only "finesse" is to give the parboiled and drained potatoes a vigorous shake back in the saucepan, with the lid on, before adding to the roasting fat. Breaking up and roughening the surface of the potatoes increases the total amount of potato that undergoes browning, so you get a better flavour and crispier outside.
Like I say, this feels like one of those techniques that's been slowly becoming a norm, but maybe that's just my subjective impression. Anyone else?
posted by howfar at 1:43 AM on June 29, 2019 [12 favorites]
shapes: no shame! I watch every one of the Gourmet Makes videos, but I've branched out, too— I even made a dish from Priya Krishna's video. Everyone in the kitchen seems so nice and supportive.
posted by zompist at 2:28 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by zompist at 2:28 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I am pedantic.
Not all of those methods are cooking.
It should be X ways to prepare a potato to be eaten.
juicing something (in isolation) is not cooking it.
posted by Faintdreams at 2:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Not all of those methods are cooking.
It should be X ways to prepare a potato to be eaten.
juicing something (in isolation) is not cooking it.
posted by Faintdreams at 2:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Potatoes cooked in rosin (Which I first came across in my 1970s edition of Joy of Cooking but have yet to try.)
posted by TedW at 3:02 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 3:02 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Rosin potatoes seem like the cruellest of foods...a beautiful lacquered skin that you can't eat IN CASE OF POISONING.
posted by howfar at 3:08 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 3:08 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Is potato sandwich?
posted by srboisvert at 4:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 4:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
I kind of like these Amiel videos (in my imagination, we're on a first-name basis), but I feel like they're going for more weird gimmicky stuff than I'd like.
This is exactly what I felt about the egg one, and the end of the potato one. The beginning of the potato and the chicken breast....I actually learned stuff and find myself with the glimmer of "hey, I have knowledge I can build on to free-form my own recipes now".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:53 AM on June 29, 2019
This is exactly what I felt about the egg one, and the end of the potato one. The beginning of the potato and the chicken breast....I actually learned stuff and find myself with the glimmer of "hey, I have knowledge I can build on to free-form my own recipes now".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:53 AM on June 29, 2019
I will eat potatoes any which way (no, please do not substitute sweet potatoes), but my favorite methods are Jeffrey Steingarten’s gratin dauphinois and a pseudo-Greek-style method where you cube potatoes, marinate them in lots of lemon juice, olive oil, and salt for half an hour, and then roast at a high temperature with the marinade and a lot of minced garlic and more salt and pepper (this is how I repeatedly destroy sheet pans) until they are crispy outside and soft inside. Oh and this Smitten Kitchen purple potatoes with parsley. Oh and my uncle’s perfect boiled and buttered red-skin potatoes.
posted by sallybrown at 5:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by sallybrown at 5:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
Not sure if this is in the video, but one of my favorite ways to prepare potatoes is what I call "Rufus* Potatoes" because the first time I had them was when my friend Rufus made them.
It requires little round baby potatoes, preferably golden.
1. Par boil the potatoes until sticking them with a fork is possible but not too easy.
2. Empty the pot and put a bunch of butter in it.
3. Put the potatoes back in.
4. On low-medium heat, let the potatoes and butter hang out. Liberally apply salt & pepper.
5. Jostle the potatoes on the regular until the skin starts to wrinkle and the potatoes have achieved a pleasing brown patina. This may take a while.
6. Serve! The potatoes should make a nice popping sound when you stick a fork in them.
* name changed to protect the innocent
posted by grumpybear69 at 5:51 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
It requires little round baby potatoes, preferably golden.
1. Par boil the potatoes until sticking them with a fork is possible but not too easy.
2. Empty the pot and put a bunch of butter in it.
3. Put the potatoes back in.
4. On low-medium heat, let the potatoes and butter hang out. Liberally apply salt & pepper.
5. Jostle the potatoes on the regular until the skin starts to wrinkle and the potatoes have achieved a pleasing brown patina. This may take a while.
6. Serve! The potatoes should make a nice popping sound when you stick a fork in them.
* name changed to protect the innocent
posted by grumpybear69 at 5:51 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
Oh god, my secret must come out: I am addicted to Bon Appetit's videos.
Today is a good day, because I learned I'm not alone in this world. And now I'm off to watch Carla make some banana bread.
posted by noneuclidean at 5:53 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
Today is a good day, because I learned I'm not alone in this world. And now I'm off to watch Carla make some banana bread.
posted by noneuclidean at 5:53 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
People. Parboiling is obviously the correct way to make roasted or (most kinds of) fried potatoes.
It doesn't even have to add much time, either. Bring the (salted) water to a boil while you're doing other things. Add potatoes; do other things for (roughly) five minutes; drain potatoes and spread 'em in a clean kitchen towel to steam themselves dry. Done.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:13 AM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
It doesn't even have to add much time, either. Bring the (salted) water to a boil while you're doing other things. Add potatoes; do other things for (roughly) five minutes; drain potatoes and spread 'em in a clean kitchen towel to steam themselves dry. Done.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:13 AM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
Yeah I'm in the same boat too with these BA videos. They can be bittersweet though because as fun as they are there are times when I'm watching them and I feel actual physical pain that I don't get to work there too.
Amiel is great fun but I'm pretty sure he's not a trained chef at all, right? Just their social media guy. See also all of Alex Delaney's videos.
posted by saladin at 6:16 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
Amiel is great fun but I'm pretty sure he's not a trained chef at all, right? Just their social media guy. See also all of Alex Delaney's videos.
posted by saladin at 6:16 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
where are the latkes
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
Parboiling
Parboil with a half teaspoon of baking soda in the water. The baking soda releases the starches on the cut surface of the potatoes. Then drain and mix em up kind of roughly in a bowl with salt and lots of oil. Now when you roast them at high heat it's like you breaded the potatoes with themselves and deep fried them. Better than french fries imo
posted by dis_integration at 7:10 AM on June 29, 2019 [17 favorites]
Parboil with a half teaspoon of baking soda in the water. The baking soda releases the starches on the cut surface of the potatoes. Then drain and mix em up kind of roughly in a bowl with salt and lots of oil. Now when you roast them at high heat it's like you breaded the potatoes with themselves and deep fried them. Better than french fries imo
posted by dis_integration at 7:10 AM on June 29, 2019 [17 favorites]
Heh. Experience of Amiel elsewhere in the Bon Appetit Cinematic Universe does not inspire confidence in his authority on any subject*.
(*but he is funny and this onion dip recipe is very good.)
posted by qbject at 7:15 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
(*but he is funny and this onion dip recipe is very good.)
posted by qbject at 7:15 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Although now I do kind of want to try boiling then roasting potatoes.
The only "finesse" is to give the parboiled and drained potatoes a vigorous shake back in the saucepan, with the lid on, before adding to the roasting fat.
Check this out from Serious Eats: The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever Recipe. I make it all the time and they are truly delicious.
posted by msbrauer at 7:23 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
The only "finesse" is to give the parboiled and drained potatoes a vigorous shake back in the saucepan, with the lid on, before adding to the roasting fat.
Check this out from Serious Eats: The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever Recipe. I make it all the time and they are truly delicious.
posted by msbrauer at 7:23 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
Also, save the water you boiled the potatoes in for making the gravy.
(although probably not if you’ve added baking soda?)
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 8:00 AM on June 29, 2019
(although probably not if you’ve added baking soda?)
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 8:00 AM on June 29, 2019
That's nothing. I have it on good authority that there are at least 100 ways to love a cat.
Possibly more.
posted by glonous keming at 9:45 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Possibly more.
posted by glonous keming at 9:45 AM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
"this would be much more delicious if there were other seasonings in there" and you know what dude you are right, maybe try putting some in there.
All of the videos are deliberately bare-bones about this - the product and nothing. It's at times irritatingly limited, (e.g. apparently Hasselbeck Potatoes should be covered in cheese) but I like them as contrasts in techniques. The egg video's review of different ways to cook omelets is probably still my favorite.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:02 AM on June 29, 2019
All of the videos are deliberately bare-bones about this - the product and nothing. It's at times irritatingly limited, (e.g. apparently Hasselbeck Potatoes should be covered in cheese) but I like them as contrasts in techniques. The egg video's review of different ways to cook omelets is probably still my favorite.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:02 AM on June 29, 2019
It should be X ways to prepare a potato to be eaten.
The problem's not inside your stove, she said to me
The recipe's easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you as you struggle starchily
There must be fifty ways to eat your taters
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:38 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
The problem's not inside your stove, she said to me
The recipe's easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you as you struggle starchily
There must be fifty ways to eat your taters
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:38 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
Check this out from Serious Eats: The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever Recipe. I make it all the time and they are truly delicious.
Bah, that recipe will be the death of me! I've seen its praises sung by multiple people, I've paid money to eat delicious potatoes presumably made using the method, I've tried making it twice so far, and each time it's gotten me some moderately crunchy potato blobs that, while tasty, are not the advertised product. Power to everyone who can make them, though.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:39 AM on June 29, 2019
Bah, that recipe will be the death of me! I've seen its praises sung by multiple people, I've paid money to eat delicious potatoes presumably made using the method, I've tried making it twice so far, and each time it's gotten me some moderately crunchy potato blobs that, while tasty, are not the advertised product. Power to everyone who can make them, though.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:39 AM on June 29, 2019
Rosin potatoes seem like the cruellest of foods...a beautiful lacquered skin that you can't eat IN CASE OF POISONING.
This is a food I was not previously aware of. I will take it into consideration.
posted by cruelfood at 1:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
This is a food I was not previously aware of. I will take it into consideration.
posted by cruelfood at 1:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Can confirm that howfar's method for roasting potatoes is the One True Method, which is to say that it's how my mother has done it all my life. (I'm British and 40ish.)
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Returning to the roast potato topic, my grandmother boiled them then roast them and she had presumably learned that from her mother as well, so that is not new.
Chopping them smaller than 'let's use half a baking potato' is obvious to most roast potato connoisseurs, and gets you more crispy bits, but dimensions vary, shaking in the pan depends on whether you like a skin or crunchy fluff, and that divides my family.
Potatoes require turning a couple of times and never cook for me in half an hour - traditionally I believe I should blame my oven, but they come out right eventually and after eating decent roasties I don't like to pass judgement.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Chopping them smaller than 'let's use half a baking potato' is obvious to most roast potato connoisseurs, and gets you more crispy bits, but dimensions vary, shaking in the pan depends on whether you like a skin or crunchy fluff, and that divides my family.
Potatoes require turning a couple of times and never cook for me in half an hour - traditionally I believe I should blame my oven, but they come out right eventually and after eating decent roasties I don't like to pass judgement.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Grumpy tip: lining your baking sheet with tinfoil makes cleanup 1000x easier.
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:27 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:27 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
Ctrl-F Tartiflette. Nothing?!
Man that looks tasty, but probably required too much meat and cheese to make the video.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:47 AM on June 30, 2019
Man that looks tasty, but probably required too much meat and cheese to make the video.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:47 AM on June 30, 2019
Oh god, my secret must come out: I am addicted to Bon Appetit's videos.
Well, now I am too.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:44 PM on July 5, 2019
Well, now I am too.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:44 PM on July 5, 2019
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posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:01 PM on June 28, 2019 [5 favorites]