Potatoes sure are unpretentious when it comes to cooking them. As a matter of fact, potatoes recipes are among the most culinary-diverse product that the world had even known. They are good as an entrée, a side dish or as the main course,  depending on your personal preferences. Potatoes are rich in starchy carbohydrates, which is the main benefactor when it comes to surviving in arctic conditions. No wonder that the Russians are so well adapted to the harsh conditions of the northern steppes. But no ingredient alone can be called a dish. That is why we need to cook the potatoes the right way in order to make their sweet, yet affirming taste stand-out and be appreciated by laymen and connoisseurs alike.

Cook Potatoes with Poultry. Garnish with vegetables.

This combination offers eaters the great opportunity to experience this magnificent amalgamation of taste and texture that potatoes and poultry have to offer. I usually go with chicken, for it is the most readily available poultry meat out there. Of course you can substitute chicken with either turkey or ever swab, if that is more to your liking.

A nice trick I have learned over the years being a professional chef is that you don’t want to cook your potatoes separate from the chicken. As a matter of fact it is a good idea to boil/simmer your chicken in water for about an hour before proceeding any further. This way we can cook the potatoes in the chicken stock once we are done boiling it. Add a couple of onions and a carrot to bring out the favor of your stock. Assuming that you want to be cooking tights, place said tights in a casserole dish and cover with 1 inch cut sweet potatoes. Cover the casserole dish with broth about half way through (or until both the chicken and the potatoes are nice and submerged) Cook until water has evaporated or until the potatoes are soft and squishy.

Tips

Baked potatoes have the audacious habit of burning on top and remaining soft at the bottom. To eliminate this problem, cover your casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake under medium-low medium heat for about 30-40 minutes.

Potatoes As A Separate Dish

Frying

It is true, that there are a lot of ways to prepare potatoes and serve them as a sort of a flavor enhancer, but there are only two ways that really make the natural flavors of potatoes shine. We all know about frying potatoes, and that is because fried potatoes are basically good with ANYTHING. Hamburgers, fish, sausage, etc. The trick to making good friend potatoes is a method known as doubly frying, or frying potatoes at two different temperatures.

Fill a skillet with oil all the way and place under medium heat until hot. Place the soon to be French fries inside and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from oil and drain. Increase the heat to high until smoke start coming out of the skillet. Return potatoes to the skillet and fry potatoes until golden brown.

Always remember to drain the excess grease before serving; cholesterol and what have you. You can place on a paper towel and pat the top. When oil is the proper temperature before you add ingredients, it will flash fly instead of absorbing oil.

Boiled Potatoes

Boiling

A nice serving of delicious mashed potatoes is all it takes to turn any frown upside down. Start by boiling about 5-6 sweet potatoes until they are easily separate with a fork. Drain and place the potatoes in a large bowl. Mash and mix with a cup of butter milk, a teaspoon of black pepper and salt to taste.

Jack Sheamus

Maralyn D. Hill