To Boil Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and scrub the potatoes clean with a hard brush.
Rinse the potatoes well and arrange them compactly in a saucepan.
Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes.
Cook
Bring the water to a boil, then add 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water.
Simmer the potatoes until nearly done, then boil rapidly for the last 2-3 minutes.
Check for tenderness by probing with a fork.
Drain and serve
Drain the water immediately and lift the lid to let steam escape.
Place the potatoes on a trivet or by the side of the fire until moisture evaporates.
Peel and serve quickly, either in a hot napkin or a covered dish to allow steam to escape.
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
- Starchy flesh that softens as it cooks, giving the boiled potatoes their tender, floury texture.
The step that matters
Simmer until nearly done, then finish with a brief rapid boil. A gentle simmer cooks the interior evenly while keeping the skins intact. Vigorous boiling for too long can split the skins and leave the potatoes waterlogged and crumbly.
“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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