To Boil Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the potatoes thoroughly with a hard brush, without cutting them.
Rinse the potatoes.
Place the potatoes compactly in a saucepan.
Add cold water to cover the potatoes.
Boil
Bring the water to a boil.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every quart of water.
Simmer the potatoes until nearly done.
Boil rapidly for the last 2-3 minutes.
Check for tenderness by probing with a fork.
Drain and dry
Drain the water immediately.
Lift the lid to let steam escape.
Place the potatoes on a rack over the fire.
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 flesh that cooks soft and forms the dish's body.
- Salt
- Seasons the cooking water so the potatoes take up flavour as they boil.
The step that matters
Drain the water immediately. Potatoes left in hot water keep absorbing moisture and can turn waterlogged and mushy. Draining right when they are tender, and letting steam escape, keeps their texture firm and dry.
“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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