PotatoesPotatoes. Unassuming, not terribly attractive and quite mild in flavour. Yet, in Canadian culture, they find their way onto almost every plate. Once thought to be too fattening to eat, potatoes are enjoying a renewed image as healthy, low in calories and a palatable source of energy.
Here a quick guide to help you choose the right potato for the job.
High-starch varieties such as Russet Burbank and Idaho potatoes are ideal for baking and great for mashing. Restaurants often use these to make fries.
Medium-starch potatoes such as Peruvian blue, Yukon gold and round white are good all-purpose potatoes and although a starchier potato might be a better choice, these can easily be served alongside roasts or as mashed potatoes.
Low starch potatoes such as fingerling or ruby crescent new potatoes are often picked before reaching maturity and are ideal for steaming, roasting or barbequing.
If you store potatoes in a cool, dark and humid, but not wet, area, they should keep for weeks. Refrigerating them might cause them to go brown when frying.
Potatoes are also the perfect recyclable food. Why not make croutons for salads or soups with leftover roasted potatoes? Mash potatoes can easily be turned into croquettes or potato cakes. Just add eggs, herbs and bread them and you have your starch for your next meal.
Amitiée gourmandeChef Marc P.S. At Cuisine & Passion we are once again selling bread from the renowned Art-Is-In Bakery in Westboro, so I you want it fresh for dinner or prepared for crostinis, drop in!
