Chef tips on potato varieties and how to cook them (2024)

Chef tips on potato varieties and how to cook them (1)Have you ever gone to the supermarket and scratched your head at the different types of potatoes on display? Senior cuisine lecturer Andrew Summers from Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide has some great advice on potato varieties and how best to cook them.

When we go to the supermarket, quite often we come across potatoes as being simply red or white.

But, according to Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide’s senior cuisine lecturer, Andrew Summers, there’s a much broader range of potatoes available on the market, and each one has got a very specific purpose which depends on their characteristics.

He says there are three main groups of potatoes – those that are waxy, floury and somewhere in between (all-purpose).

“The things we need to look at are how much moisture, sugar and starch are in the potato and all those things will contribute to how the potato will turn out once cooked,” he says.

“If we have a potato that’s high in sugar, when we deep fry it the sugar will caramelise and you’ll end up with a soft, unevenly brown potato and that’s why we choose a more floury potato for that.

“If you have a potato that’s got quite a thick skin or is an older potato and you boil it, it’ll end up falling apart as it absorbs too much moisture, so we have complete disaster if we choose the wrong potato.”

Here are seven types of potatoes, their characteristics and what they’re good for when it comes to meal preparation:

Chef tips on potato varieties and how to cook them (2024)

FAQs

Chef tips on potato varieties and how to cook them? ›

Choosing Potatoes

What are 4 cooking methods that are best for chef's all purpose potatoes? ›

This category of potato is best for boiling, steaming, sauteing, oven roasting, stewing, mashing, and braising. Examples include chef's all-purpose, Yukon Gold, and yellow-fleshed potatoes. New potatoes are low-starch, high-moisture potatoes.

What is the most delicious potato variety? ›

Yukon gold, white, yellow, blue, and purple potato varieties are the happy medium of the potato world. They're a great potato staple and are not too starchy or too waxy.

What kind of potato is a chef potato? ›

Similar to a russet with a medium level of starch, white potatoes have a smoother, thinner and lighter skin. The term 'Chef Potato' was adoped to the product due to its large size profile and versatility. Extremely versatile and can be used for baking, boiling, frying, mashing, roasting or steaming.

How to cook different kinds of potatoes? ›

Yukon gold and other yellow potatoes are low- to medium-starch potatoes, and are well suited to roasting, mashing, baked dishes, and soups and chowders. Round red and round white potatoes have less starch and more moisture, making them best for boiling, but they can also be roasted or fried.

Which variety of potato is best for sautéing? ›

Variety and performance

Most recipes for sauteed potatoes call specifically for a waxy variety: Ramsay suggests Charlotte and Anthony Bourdain Yukon Gold (more common in the States than here).

Are Yukon Gold potatoes the same as yellow potatoes? ›

Are Yukon Gold and Yellow Potatoes Interchangeable? Although technically yellow potatoes are not the same as Yukon gold, you can use them interchangeably in most recipes. Yukon gold potatoes share the basic traits of all yellow potatoes, including the creamy, moist texture.

What are russet potatoes best used for? ›

Russets are ideal for light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They also fry up crisp and golden brown, and are the potato of choice for baking. The delicate flavor and fluffy texture of baked russets goes well with a variety of toppings, from traditional sour cream and chives to spicy and bold Mediterranean or Latin flavors.

What are Yukon Gold potatoes best for? ›

Thanks to their thin skins and pleasant, creamy texture, Yukon Gold potatoes are very versatile, which makes them an easy substitute for most other varieties. Yukon Gold potatoes are stable enough to cook without crumbling, which means they're great when used in potato salads or soups.

What is the healthiest potato? ›

All potatoes can fit into a healthy diet, but purple potatoes, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes—which are often grouped with potatoes—stand out due to their high amounts of protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.

Which potato has the most flavor? ›

Yukon gold potatoes are famous for having a distinct nutty flavor and the smoothness of butter – which also influences the taste! This unique flavor makes Yukon gold potatoes highly sought after by consumers. Because it's so flexible, the Yukon gold potato can be added to a variety of recipes to improve its quality.

What kind of potato is best for mashed potatoes? ›

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

What potato does Mcdonald's use? ›

Our World Famous Fries® are made from quality potatoes, including Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet and the Shepody. The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants.

What is a #1 potato? ›

No. 1 potatoes have less defects and are more even shaped in general, so are easier for the kitchen to get use out of the whole potato. Yields could be better.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook potatoes? ›

Carefully add the potatoes to the hot tray along with the garlic and rosemary. Toss to coat in the fat and spread out in a single layer so they cook evenly. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve.

What is the appropriate cooking method for potatoes? ›

Place the potatoes in a 3- to 4-quart sauce pan and cover with cold water. Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Uncover, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and reduce the heat so that the water boils gently. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.

What are the 4 basic cooking techniques in pre preparation? ›

Four cooking techniques are peeling, kneading, sifting, and stirring. People often use cooking techniques to prepare ingredients for further preparation.

What are the different processing methods for potatoes? ›

In conclusion, the processing of potatoes in the factory involves several steps, including cleaning, sorting, peeling, slicing, blanching, frying, and mashing. These steps are carefully designed to create the final products that we enjoy, such as potato chips, french fries, and mashed potatoes.

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