Potato Cooking Tips and Two Easy Recipes

Make Hash Browns and Oven-Fried Potatoes at Home

© Jill Harris

Mar 14, 2009

Potatoes have been a staple food in peoples' diets for thousands of years. Even for those with access to a rainbow of other vegetables, potatoes remain a favourite comfort food. Maybe it’s because they keep so well in storage, or because they are filling or nutritious - or because they pair so well with butter and oil – potatoes remain the most-eaten vegetable in the United States and are the most-produced vegetable in the world.

There are more than 200 species of potato, yet we generally eat only a handful of these. Trends toward organic and heritage varieties of food plants mean there has been a resurgence of varieties like fingerling and purple potatoes.

Though botanically a vegetable, potatoes are nutritionally considered a starch, which may explain our urge to mix them with feel-good ingredients like butter and milk.

Choosing the Best Potato for your Recipe

For potatoes that will be mashed or fried, choose the popular russet or “baking” potato, blue or purple varieties. Their drier texture works well with added fat like oil and butter. For boiling, dicing and grating (as for hash browns), choose a sturdier waxy potato like the popular red or white types.

Here are two basic potato recipes that highlight the versatility of fresh potatoes. Try basic hash browns as part of a vegetarian breakfast, or sample the spicy oven-fried potato recipe as a snack or topper for vegetarian chili.

Basic Hash Brown Recipe

Makes 6 servings.

Total preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3-5 medium potatoes (approximately 3 cups shredded)
• 1 medium cooking onion
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• At least 1-2 Tbsp. butter, margarine or vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes.
2. Use a cheese grater to shred the potatoes into a large bowl.
3. Rinse the grated potato under cool water to help the shreds stick together in the pan.
4. Wash, peel, and dice the cooking onion and add to the bowl of potatoes, mixing well. Add the salt the pepper and stir thoroughly.
5. Melt the butter, margarine, or oil to a large skillet and heat over medium.
6. When the skillet is hot, add the potato mixture.
7. Using a spatula, spread out the mixture and flatten it.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the bottom gets crispy; about 10 minutes.
9. Flip the entire hash brown with the spatula, then separate it into 6 equal parts. Allow the other side to cook until crispy; about 8-10 minutes.
10. Remove from skillet and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Spicy Oven-Fried Potato Medallions Recipe

Serves: 6

Total preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. Mesquite seasoning
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash the potatoes and poke holes in them with a knife.
2. Place the potatoes in a baking dish with a lid.
3. Microwave for 4 minutes at 80% power.
4. Remove potatoes and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. While still warm, slice the potatoes into ¼” rounds and toss with the butter and spices.
6. Cook potatoes in a 375F oven for 40 minutes; longer if crispier potatoes are desired.
7. Serve hot.

Looking for more potato recipes? Try:

• Colcannon (an Irish cabbage and potatoes dish)
• Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie.

The inside of a starchy purple potato

White potatoes are perfect for potato salads

Oven-fried potato medallions

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