Grandma Potatoes Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put baking soda on potatoes? ›

I first came across this trick from a post on Serious Eats – baking soda creates an alkaline environment for the potatoes to boil in, which maximises the starch so our roast potatoes are extra crispy! Swish the potatoes around your colander after boiling.

Preheat a large shallow roasting tin in the oven until hot before adding the fat to the tin and heating for five minutes. Carefully add the potatoes, turning them in the fat until coated and scatter over the thyme sprigs. Return them to the oven and roast them for around 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary. The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.

Expert opinions differ. Shredding makes for a creamier inside – more like mashed potato; grating for a bite that retains more of the potato's pop and texture. A friend of mine named Dori Fern makes award-winning latkes. And she's firmly on the side of hand-grating, using the large holes.

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

Yes, you can eat sweet potato skin, whether it's an orange, white or purple sweet potato. So the next time you make sweet potatoes, try keeping the skin on. Not only will it save you prep time and add a textural component to the dish, but there are also nutritional benefits to leaving the peel on.

You might not be using enough oil. If you're not using enough oil to coat the potato, it won't get crispy as it bakes. You might be using the wrong type of potato. Potatoes with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes, are better for baking because they become fluffy and crispy when cooked.

You don't NEED to, though if you want nice crispy potatoes with fluffy insides, par-boil cut potatoes for ten mins or so, drain in a colander and then shake well to break up the surface. Put into very hot oil and roast until cooked.

However, dry heat is only one contributing factor. So if your potatoes aren't crisping in the oven, the problem likely lies in how you place them on the baking sheet. If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit.

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best roast potatoes? ›

In a video online, Gordon explained: “For crispy roast potatoes, you can depend on them, my tip is to parboil them, leave them to steam dry, then sprinkle them with semolina or flour, and then give them a good roughing up.”

Put the dripping, butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in your largest roasting tray placed on a medium heat. Tip in the potatoes, add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss to coat. Spread them out in one, fairly snug, even layer leaving a small gap between them. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

The US Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and other scientists agree: use a cold water soak with baking soda to effectively help remove dirt, chemical residue, and other unwanted materials from your fresh vegetables and fruits.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

Baking Soda: Read this article for the food science deep dive (which isn't really my bag). But to give you the Cliff's Notes version, the baking soda alkalizes the water. It breaks down the pectin in the potato and brings the natural starches up to the surface.

America's Test Kitchen often recommends adding baking soda to the water in which you will boil potatoes, which further coaxes out the starch molecules. Aim for ½ teaspoon baking soda for every 8 to 10 cups or water, or 2 to 3 pounds of potatoes.