To Boil Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Boil
Place unpeeled potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil.
Add 1 pint of cold water and some coarse sea salt.
Boil again until almost done.
Steam and serve
Drain the water.
Cover the potatoes with a clean cloth and the saucepan lid.
Let them steam by the fire until ready.
For new potatoes, monitor closely to avoid them becoming watery.
Rub off the skin with a cloth and salt.
Wash the potatoes 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
- Potatoes
- Their starch softens as they cook, giving a tender, fluffy interior that forms the dish's body.
The step that matters
Watch new potatoes closely. New potatoes have thinner skins and less starchy flesh, so if they stay in the water or steam too long they can absorb moisture and turn watery.
“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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