Saturday, February 01, 2014

'White' potatoes

Potatoes labelled simply “Whites”, I have always thought, are the poor relations of the maincrop world – the equivalent of robusta coffee, or the Aligoté grape. But the Whites on sale at my local greengrocer – White Bros, as it happens – are excellent. Roasted, they have a crunchy exterior and a creamy, earthily flavoured interior.

I have banged on about the best way to roast potatoes quite a few times. Essentially: I peel them, cut them up, put them in cold water with a little salt, bring them to the boil, and boil them for three to five minutes. I bash up the surfaces.

I do not think it essential to put them in hot oil or fat. (But of course if you have fat or dripping, you need to melt it.) I toss the potatoes in sunflower or olive oil, and roast them at gas mark 6/200C, turning them a few times, for about an hour.


The posts to which I've linked below may not be 100% consistent with what I've just written.

Heston's roast potatoes
Roast potatoes IV
Roast new potatoes
 

2 comments:

San said...


Dob your greengrocer in to Trading Standards if they're not specifying the potato variety. It's an offence under The Food Labelling Regulations 1996:
Quote
Potatoes

3. The name used for potatoes sold as such shall include or be accompanied by an indication of their variety.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1499/schedule/1/made?view=plain

Supermarkets manage it; wholesalers manage it; why can't greengrocers and market stalls?

Nicholas Clee said...

Should have researched this subject before posting. So "whites" could be anything, and the next lot I buy could be rubbish. Oh, well.