Do i need to start potatoes to boil in cold water like when you boil an egg?!
Do i need to start potatoes to boil in cold water like when you boil an egg?
Answers:
In cooking school and at the restaurants I've worked at we were taught to start potatoes and all root vegetables in cold water. the reasoning escapes me now but i still do it out of habit.
it doesnt really matter. potatoes take a while to soften, really you can add them to cold water and start the boil, or you can wait until the water is boiling before you drop them in. just be careful of splashing hot water!
I boil my eggs and potatoes in water that is already boiling. I've never heard of anyone doing it from cold.
I don't think it matters. You should check out what Alton Brown from the Food Network has to say. He knows pretty much everything about food (or at least he thinks he does).
When I make potato salad I skin raw uncooked potato and then place them in a pot of cold water, yes just like boiled eggs. Stick a fork in them after about 45mins. If the fork slices the potato its soft enough.
Is that the answer you are looking for? What are you trying to make/cook?
Curiously,
Amarie
boiling potatoes starting from cold water to boiling state ensures you that the potatoes are inside-out cook^^,) sometimes starting to boil a potato from a boiling water already overcooked the outside part of the potato.
I get the water to a good rolling boil and then put the potatoes in. Test them with a fork after about 7 minutes. Keep testing to get them to the softness you desire.
Now, you can spice them up if you add crab boil to your water. Boil them in this and this will give them a kick. Very good.
Also, boil some corn in the crab boil. Very good.
Once done, use some of the sprinkle crab boil to use instead of salt and pepper. Gooooood
Also, mushrooms are good in the crab boil. Be careful to not bite a mushroom until it cools down a bit. It will hold the hot water.
no, you can use cold, warm or hot, it won't matter.
Here is a recipe that Wolfgang Puck had on Food Network
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Brown Onions Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes
Salt
Vegetable oil, for frying 1/2 pound onions, cut crosswise into thin slices and separated into rings
All-purpose flour
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, brought to a boil
Freshly ground white pepper
Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water.
With a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, peel each potato and remove any "eyes," then cut it in quarters with a sharp knife and put in the bowl of water. Put the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover them. Salt the water.
Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, skimming off foam that rises to the surface; then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the potatoes just until tender enough to be pierced easily with a skewer or a sharp knife tip.
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the onions: In a deep-fryer or a deep, heavy saucepan, heat about 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees F. Lightly dust the onion rings with flour and carefully drop them into the hot oil, cooking them in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Fry them until golden, 3 to 5 minutes, removing them with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer to drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt and keep warm.
When the potatoes are done, drain them immediately. Using a ricer or a food mill, puree the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Add the nutmeg, 8 tablespoons of the butter, and the hot cream. With a wooden spoon, stir them into the potatoes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Mound the potatoes in a heated serving bowl. Put the remaining butter in a saucepan or skillet and, over medium-high heat, melt it and continue cooking just until it turns golden brown. Lightly season the butter with salt and immediately drizzle it over the potatoes. Pile the crispy onions on top of the mashed potatoes.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Medium Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings User Rating:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
It sort of depends on what you plan to do with them. If you want them to hold their shape for a potato salad or something, then start them in boiling water. If you are just going to mash them up or dont care if they hold shape, then start them in cold. My first chef instructor told us this. An old guy that has done it all when it comes to cooking, and classically trained in Switzerland and France.
You don't need to, but it's better to. That way all the potatoes will cook evenly and you won't have those couple that are still kind of crunchy!