The modest potato a super versatile vegetable
What could be more modest than the simple potato?
It is, of course, another of the wonder foods found in the New World and exported around the world by the early European explorers.
It was first domesticated 10,000 years ago in Peru, and was so good in so many ways, it soon spread over most of the Americas. Today, it is one of the most important crops in the world.
Can you picture a world without the potato? No more french fries with that burger. No more baked potato with that steak. What a sad world it would be. Can you imagine what the Irish would do, not to mention the Germans?
Yes, the potato is popular almost everywhere. Would it surprise you to know the Chinese produce more potatoes than anyone else?
But it is still just a potato, right? Sorry, friend, but it is much more than that.
"Larousse Gastronomique," the encyclopedia of French cooking, lists almost 40 recipes, from a simple potato pancake, to the much more complex dish Mere Carles (potatoes cut into a cork shape, and then rolled in a half rasher of smoked bacon). It also lists nine shapes the potato can be cut into and then fried. Oh, those French.
The simple potato is a versatile food that will respond to the love and attention you give it. If you want down-to-earth mashed potatoes, they can be made subtle and delicious with just the right amount of cream and butter.
If you double-fry thin slices, first at low temp, then again at a higher temp, you will get soufflé potatoes that you will long remember. The recipe for potato soufflées I've included here is adapted from "Gastronomique."
The Irish famously make colcannon, lovely mashed potatoes swirled with kale and lots of butter. If you have never tried it, then you must.
The Germans make the robust bratkartoffeln, and so it is included as well. The best-selling Italian cookbook in Italy, for the last 50 years, "The Silver Spoon," lists almost 100 recipes for the potato, so Fontina potatoes is the last we will share today.
GERMAN BRATKARTOFFELN
Good German food is hearty, to be sure, perhaps that is one reason they are such a robust people. Bratkartoffeln is often served as a side with a lovely little schnitzel or the famous pork knuckle, Schweinshaxe, that can be a meal for two. Serve these potatoes with whatever main course you like, it is quite versatile.
4-5 pounds potatoes
1 cup diced smoked bacon
1 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender, then drain, cool, peel, and cut into cubes. Cut the bacon into 1 inch strips, then fry until crispy, remove and set aside. In the same pan add the onions and cook until translucent, remove and place with the bacon. Add the additional oil to the pan and cook the potatoes over medium high heat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until well browned. Add the bacon and onions, toss carefully, taste and re-season if necessary. Serve at once.
POTATO SOUFFLÉES
3-4 large waxy potatoes
Salt
Deep skillet
Oil to fill the skillet half way (never more!)
Wash and then peel the potatoes, wash again and dry thoroughly. Carefully slice them to about 1/3 of an inch thick. Heat the oil to 300 degrees. Carefully place the sliced potatoes into the hot oil, take your time and do not overfill the pan. Also be careful not to let the temperature of the oil fall to sharply (never use cold or damp potatoes). Cook for 8 minutes, remove, drain and allow to cool. Increase the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees and cook the potatoes again until they are puffy and brown. Season with salt and serve at once on a hot platter. This recipe is a bit tricky, so you may have to try it more than once to get the right results.
COLCANNON
2-3 pounds peeled russet potatoes
1 bunch fresh kale
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Salt and pepper as necessary
Cut the potatoes into quarters, then simmer in salted water until they are done, fork test to be sure, but it should take about 15-20 minutes. When the fork can easily pierce the potatoes they are done. Drain and set aside, but keep warm. Add 2-3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of water to a large sauce pot, over medium heat, whisk until melted, and the water has been incorporated. Now add the kale, toss, cover and cook for 1 minute on high heat, toss again and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the potatoes, slowly add the milk and mash until smooth. You can do this with a fork, or a hand held blender. Add the drained kale and mix in well by hand. Serve in a large bowl, family style, and top with plenty of fresh, sweet butter.
FONTINA POTATOES
3 pounds potatoes
1-2 chopped cloves of garlic
Butter
3/4-1 cup Fontina cheese
1/3-1/4 cup cubed Swiss cheese
1/4 cup large dice ham
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, then drain and allow to cool, now slice thinly. Rub the peeled garlic around the bottom of an oven-proof pan, then grease generously with butter. Add a layer of potatoes, then a layer of the cheese (both), and then a layer of ham. Continue until the ingredients are used up, but be sure to end with potato slices. Pour the cream over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, so that the potato mixture will be firm.
This story was originally published November 12, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "The modest potato a super versatile vegetable."