Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and peel the potatoes early in the morning, or the night before for very old ones.
Soak the peeled potatoes in a pan of cold water until ready to boil, changing the water 2-4 times based on their age.
Three quarters of an hour before dinner, dry the potatoes with a clean towel.
Boil and serve
Place the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water with 2 tablespoons of salt.
Cover and boil for 30 minutes or until tender when tested with a knitting needle.
Drain the water, shake the potatoes in the pot, and sprinkle a little salt over them.
Set the pot uncovered on the back of the stove to steam for 5 minutes before serving.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- New potatoes
- Starchy flesh that cooks to a soft, tender texture when boiled through.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the potatoes both in the boiling water and after draining.
The step that matters
Boil until tender, then steam dry. Potatoes are done when a knitting needle slides in easily, not by time alone, since age and size vary. Leaving them uncovered on the stove after draining lets surface moisture evaporate so they taste less watery and hold a fluffier texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More boiled potatoes recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.