Best Ways to Cook Potatoes
A Spud Lovers Guide to Potato Varieties
Ever wondered what is the best way to cook different kinds of potatoes? Russets, fingerlings, white potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and blue potatoes. Here’s a guide to potato varieties and how to use them best.
Slideshow: A Guide to Potatoes—How to Cook Each Variety
There’s a reason potatoes have been called one of the five plants that transformed the world. This hearty vegetable, which originated in the South American Andes, has fed hungry populations for over 7,000 years. With the ability to feed four times as many people as an acre of wheat, potatoes spread to Europe and fuelled a population boom in the late 18th century.
Potatoes and Nutrition
In terms of nutrition, potatoes may be the most economical vegetable you can grow or buy. High in complex carbohydrates, a source of protein and fibre, this long-time comfort food is cholesterol free and has almost no fat of its own. A medium spud delivers about 20 mg of vitamin C, and contains potassium, iron, niacin and vitamin B6.
With soil and climate well-suited to growing these tubers, we have a range of potato varieties and colours. Russets are the old-time standby for baked potatoes and home fries. But have you tasted the complex, wonderful flavours of fingerling, white, red, yellow, and blue potatoes?
Recipes:
Basic Foods You Can Make at Home
Colourful Scalloped Potatoes
Herb Roasted Cipollini Onions
Roasted Parsnips
I just bought a bag of roaster potatoes from the local market. Can these be used like russets, e.g. baked, mashed, etc? Thanks.
Unless they have hard brown skins like russets, they will not be suitable for baking on an open rack, such as you do for baked potatoes. More likely the potatoes you bought have thin skins, similar to red potatoes or Yukon Golds. These are excellent for roasting in the oven in a shallow pan: Just cut the unpeeled potatoes in pieces, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and roast them, covered, until tender. Very delicious!