To Boil Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a hard brush.
Rinse the potatoes well and arrange them compactly in a saucepan.
Cover the potatoes with cold water.
Boil and drain
Bring the water to a boil and add salt.
Simmer the potatoes until nearly done, then boil rapidly for the last 2-3 minutes.
Check for tenderness by probing with a fork.
Drain the water immediately and let the steam escape by lifting the lid.
Place the potatoes on a trevet over the fire until moisture evaporates.
Peel and serve quickly, preferably in their skins.
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
- Provide the starchy body of the dish; their starch cooks soft and fluffy when boiled.
- Salt
- Seasons the cooking water so the potatoes absorb flavour as they cook.
The step that matters
Simmer until nearly done, then boil rapidly. Gentle simmering cooks the potatoes evenly without breaking them apart, while the brief rapid boil finishes the centre. Testing with a fork before draining prevents undercooked or overcooked potatoes.
“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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