Ingredient guide
Potatoes
The world's most important vegetable. Potatoes are cheap, filling, and endlessly adaptable — roast them, mash them, fry them, or fold them into stews. The key to great potatoes is choosing the right type for the job.
Flavor & Texture
Mildly earthy and starchy-sweet. Waxy varieties are denser and hold their shape; floury varieties break down into fluffy, creamy textures.
How to Choose
Waxy (new, red, or fingerling) potatoes hold shape for salads and roasting; floury (russet, Maris Piper) potatoes mash and bake beautifully; all-purpose (Yukon Gold) do a bit of everything. Avoid green skin or sprouts — signs of age.
How to Store
Keep potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place — not the fridge, where starch converts to sugar, and not the counter, where light turns them green. They keep for weeks. Store away from onions, which make them sprout faster.
How to Prepare
Scrub rather than peel where the skin is thin. For even roasting, cut into uniform pieces and dry them well before oiling. Salt boiling water generously — potatoes absorb seasoning.
Ways to cook it
Cooking Methods
- Roasting
- Boiling
- Mashing
- Frying
- Baking
- Steaming
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Ingredient Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes
- Parsnips
- Cauliflower (for low-carb)
- Turnips
Good to know
Common Questions
Why are my roasted potatoes never crispy?
Three common culprits: not drying them, overcrowding the pan, or the oven being too cool. Dry well, give them space, and roast at 220°C.
Can I eat green potatoes?
Green skin contains solanine, which can cause stomach upset. Trim the green parts and sprouts generously, or discard heavily greened potatoes.
Should potatoes go in the fridge?
No — the cold converts their starch to sugar, which makes them taste sweet and turn dark when fried.