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Date Posted：11/16/2016 21:15 PMCopy HTML
Because almost everybody seems to love potatoes, it's worth mastering more than a few ways to make them. Mashed potatoes turn into potato cakes and shepherd's pies; scalloped potatoes can be an everyday side or a luxurious main; baked potatoes can be dinner, or hash browns. Read on for even more ideas and techniques. Before You StartWhen you're shopping, it's good to know which potato varieties are best suited to which cooking methods. Here's a breakdown. High-starch, like Idaho and other russets, are good for baking whole, mashing, roasting, salad and frying. Medium-starch, like Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn, Katahdin and Kennebec, are good for mashing, roasting, salad and boiling. Low-starch, a k a waxy potatoes, like Red Bliss, Norland, White Rose, most fingerlings and new potatoes, are good for roasting, boiling, salad. For an all-purpose potatoto keep on hand, buy russets or Yukon Golds and keep them in a cool, dark place.
MashingMashed potatoes are still the simplest and most satisfying potato dish for many meals. Whether you like them whipped and creamy, dense or fluffy, they are easy to pull off on a weeknight but special enough for a holiday. And when plain mash seems too … plain, expand on them with endless variations on herbs, aromatics and cheeses. Karsten Moran for The New York Times BASIC METHODOur favorite method for making mashed potatoes is in the video above. Here's how you do it: Put a large pot of water on to boil, adding a tablespoon of salt for each gallon of water. While the water heats, peel the largest potatoes you have (two per person is a good rule of thumb) and roughly cut into large chunks, about the size of a jumbo egg. Boil until tender all the way through (start testing after 10 minutes). Meanwhile, heat any flavorings (buttermilk, milk, cream, butter, stock) you plan to add. When potatoes are tender, scoop out and set aside a cup of cooking water. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Place over low heat and shake until most of the steam has dissipated. Add some of your flavorings, mash, and taste. Add salt. Repeat until mashed and seasoned to your liking. Adjust the texture with cooking water. Serve immediately or cover tightly and set aside for up to 30 minutes.  Karsten Moran for The New York Times TIPSChoose large potatoes to minimize peeling. It’s better to overcook the potatoes than undercook them; be sure to cook them so they are thoroughly tender. Try adding garlic cloves and bay leaves or other aromatics to the cooking water; it adds another layer of flavor to the potatoes. Shake the drained potatoes in the pot over low heat, to get rid of excess water and add fluffiness. The traditional squiggle masher is not as efficient as those with a flat face and a grid pattern. A ricer makes the fluffiest mashed potatoes. Do not use a blender or food processor. Make sure everything you plan to add to the potatoes — milk, cream, butter, stock, cooking water — is very hot before you begin mashing. Quickly mashed potatoes are the fluffiest. The longer you work them, the denser and creamier the mash will become. Mashed potatoes will stay hot in a ceramic or glass serving bowl for at least 30 minutes. To keep them hot longer, place bowl inside a pan of simmering water on the stove and cover it tightly. You can also reheat cold mashed potatoes in this way; stir occasionally to redistribute the heat. Add another root vegetable to the mash. Some classic combinations: ⅔ mashed celery root to ⅓ mashed potato; ½ mashed turnips or parsnips to ½ mashed potato; ½ mashed cauliflower to ½ mashed potato.
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