White Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the potatoes thoroughly.
If the potatoes are old, peel them before boiling.
Boil and serve
Put them into boiling water.
Add a little salt if desired.
Cook until a fork easily enters them.
Serve immediately after cooking.
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
- White potatoes
- Provide the starchy base that softens into a tender, fluffy texture when boiled.
The step that matters
Cook until a fork easily enters them. Undercooked potatoes stay firm in the center because starch has not yet gelatinized, while overcooked potatoes break apart as cell walls fully separate. A fork test shows when the interior has softened evenly.
“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.
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