Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (127 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We were after a new potato side dish with mashed-potato creaminess and crackly-crisp crusts without deep frying. Using red potatoes for their moist texture and thin skin, we parcooked the potatoes on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil on the oven’s bottom rack with a splash of water in the pan. This drier-heat method gave us potatoes with creamy flesh that tasted sweet, deep, and earthy. After a short rest (very hot potatoes crumbled apart when smashed), we drizzled the potatoes with olive oil and pressed them into patties on the baking sheet. To do this, we simply placed another baking sheet on top of them and then pushed down evenly and firmly. In one fell swoop, we had perfect cracked patties. With a little more seasoning and another stint in the oven on the top rack, we had browned, crisped potatoes.
SERVES 4 TO 6
This recipe is designed to work with potatoes 1¹⁄
2
to 2 inches in diameter; do not use potatoes any larger. It is important to thoroughly cook the potatoes so that they will smash easily. Remove the potatoes from the baking sheet as soon as they are done browning—they will toughen if left too long. A potato masher can also be used to “smash” the potatoes.
2 | pounds small red potatoes |
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | teaspoon chopped fresh thyme |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Adjust oven racks to top and bottom positions and heat oven to 500 degrees. Arrange potatoes on rimmed baking sheet, pour ³⁄
4
cup water into baking sheet, and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Cook on bottom rack until paring knife or skewer slips in and out of potatoes easily (poke through foil to test), 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and cool 10 minutes. If any water remains on baking sheet, blot dry with paper towel.
2.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over potatoes and roll to coat. Space potatoes evenly on baking sheet and place second baking sheet on top; press down firmly on baking sheet, flattening potatoes until ¹⁄
3
to ¹⁄
2
inch thick. Sprinkle with thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle evenly with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Roast potatoes on top rack for 15 minutes, then transfer potatoes to bottom rack and continue to roast until well browned, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For roasted potatoes with the crispiest exterior and creamiest interior, we had to find the right spud, the right shape, and the right cooking method. Parcooking proved key, as gently simmering our potatoes drew starch and sugar to the surface and washed away the excess quickly. In the oven, the starch and sugar hardened into a crisp shell. Slicing the potatoes into ¹⁄
2
-inch-thick rounds before parcooking them allowed for perfectly even cooking and browning, and vigorously tossing the parcooked rounds with olive oil and salt created a roughed-up surface, which in turn sped up evaporation during roasting, making the exterior crusts even crispier. After testing several varieties, we settled on Yukon Golds, which crisped up perfectly yet had enough moisture to give us the creamy interior we were after.
SERVES 4 TO 6
The steps of parcooking the potatoes before roasting and tossing the potatoes with salt and oil until they are coated with starch are the keys to developing a crisp exterior and creamy interior. The potatoes should be just undercooked when they are removed from the boiling water.
2¹⁄ | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
5 | tablespoons olive oil |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven, then cover with 1 inch cold water. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat and gently simmer until exteriors of potatoes have softened but centers offer resistance when poked with paring knife, about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes well and transfer to large bowl.
2.
Drizzle potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt; using rubber spatula, toss to combine. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt and continue to toss until exteriors of potato slices are coated with starchy paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.
Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over surface. Carefully transfer potatoes to baking sheet and spread into even layer (place end pieces skin side up). Bake until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 10 minutes.
4.
Remove baking sheet from oven and, using metal spatula and tongs, loosen potatoes from pan and carefully flip each slice. Continue to roast until second side is golden and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes longer, rotating baking sheet as needed to ensure potatoes brown evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
When well prepared, Greek-style garlic and lemon potatoes are nicely browned and crisped on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and accented by a full (but not overpowering) lemon flavor and plenty of garlic bite. We chose Yukon Golds and browned them in a nonstick skillet in butter and vegetable oil for deep flavor and color, then covered the pan to allow the potatoes to finish cooking through. A combination of juice and zest gave them a full lemon flavor and four cloves hit the right level of garlic. A sprinkling of salt, oregano, and parsley finished this side dish perfectly.
SERVES 4
We prefer to use medium potatoes, 7 to 8 ounces each, for this recipe. If your potatoes are larger, you may have to increase the covered cooking time by up to 4 minutes. Though a nonstick pan makes cleanup easier, it is not essential.
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
2 | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, each potato cut lengthwise into 8 wedges |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh oregano |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice |
1 | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1.
Heat vegetable oil and butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add potatoes in single layer and cook until golden brown on first cut side (pan should sizzle but not smoke), about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip potatoes onto second cut side and cook until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and cook until potatoes are tender when poked with paring knife, about 5 minutes.
2.
While potatoes cook, combine oregano, garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest and juice in small bowl. When potatoes are tender, add garlic mixture, salt, and pepper to skillet, stirring carefully (so as not to break potato wedges) to distribute. Cook, uncovered, until seasoning mixture is heated through and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle potatoes with parsley, stir gently to distribute, and serve immediately.
We like kalamata olives here, but any brine-cured black olive will work.
Stir 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese and ¹⁄
4
cup sliced pitted kalamata olives into skillet along with parsley in step 2.
You can make this recipe without the anchovies if preferred.
Stir 1 teaspoon minced anchovies along with garlic mixture into skillet in step 2, then add 2¹⁄
2
ounces baby spinach (2¹⁄
2
cups) and gently stir to distribute. Omit parsley.
Note that the seeds and membranes of the jalapeños are left intact in this recipe; this variation is for those who like spicy food.
Add 2 small jalapeño chiles, cut crosswise into ¹⁄
4
-inch-thick slices, to skillet just before covering skillet in step 1.
Add ¹⁄
4
cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and 2 thinly sliced scallions along with garlic mixture to skillet in step 2.
GREEN POTATOES CAN MAKE YOU GREEN
When potatoes are left on the counter for more than a few days, they sometimes turn slightly green under the skin. It turns out that when potatoes are exposed to light for prolonged periods of time, they begin to produce chlorophyll in the form of a green ring under the skin. While the chlorophyll itself is tasteless and harmless, it does mark the potential presence of solanine, a toxin that can cause gastrointestinal distress. Since solanine develops on the skin of the potato (or just below), discarding the peel greatly reduces the risk of becoming ill from a slightly green spud. We’ve found that potatoes stored in a well-ventilated, dark, dry, cool place will stay solanine-free for up to a month, while potatoes left on the counter will begin to exhibit signs of solanine in as little as a week.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Many people would never consider consulting a recipe when making mashed potatoes, instead adding chunks of butter and spurts of cream until their conscience tells them to stop. Little wonder then that mashed potatoes made this way are consistent only in their mediocrity. We wanted mashed potatoes that were perfectly smooth and creamy, with great potato flavor and plenty of buttery richness every time. We began by selecting russet potatoes for their high starch content. Boiling them whole and unpeeled yielded mashed potatoes that were rich, earthy, and sweet. We used a food mill or ricer for the smoothest texture (a potato masher can be used if you prefer your potatoes a little chunky). For smooth, velvety potatoes, we added melted butter first and then half-and-half. Melting, rather than merely softening, the butter enabled it to coat the starch molecules quickly and easily, so the potatoes turned out creamy and light. From there, it was easy to come up with a number of flavorful variations.
