There is a lot to consider when dealing with the crates of potatoes in the supermarket. And honestly, how many times have you totally blown it with that choice—grab that Idaho bag and hope for the best while that evening’s picnic salad or holiday porridge is at stake? Potatoes are fairly user-friendly, but they have specific properties worth learning about if you want to make the perfect hash brown, for example.
One type of potato is better for frying, while another should definitely be avoided when making latkes. And then there’s the most flexible potato of them all. And there are these purple ones! What’s the matter with them?
In the supermarket you will undoubtedly find three main types of potatoes: reddish brown, red blissand Yukon Gold. And each (mostly) falls into one of two categories: starchy or waxy. There are of course other types of potato specialties to think about: fingerling potatoes (semi-firm and great for frying), German butterball potatoes (starchy and perfect for a creamy and extra sweet mash) and peewees (great for soup). . But most of our cooking revolves around the big three, and once you master those, the others will all make sense.
The starchy potato is what it sounds like. When baked and whipped, the pulp tastes chalky and dry, but it’s incredibly good at absorbing flavors. This means that the starchy potato can absorb a lot of fat. Enter Red Potato, your go-to for Thanksgiving mashed potatoes and fries. The best for potato gnocchi, potato pancakes and extra crispy hash browns. Keep in mind, however, that it will fall apart when cooked through — and completely dissolve into a starchy mush if cooked beyond that — making it a lousy addition to soups with broths where chunks are the goal.
Waxy potatoes have a lower starch content and higher moisture content, and the waxier the potato, the less likely it is to fall apart during cooking. Red Bliss is a waxy potato, and while it’s a bit of a throwback to the ’70s and ’80s, it’s really great for roasting and braising, and it’s a welcome addition to soups and stews, where it can keep up with the long cooking time and keep their shape.
Yukon Golds fall somewhere between waxy and starchy, and they’re sometimes referred to as an all-purpose potato (at least that’s what Martha Stewart calls them, and nobody wants to argue with Martha). They’re the big helpers in the potato game, with a sweet flesh and tender skin that’s great for roasting, boiling, and even pureeing. In fact, Daniel often uses YGs for his mashes. They’re sweeter and offer a bit more flavor, and you can mash the skin right into them (unlike the russets, which need to be peeled). In restaurants, they use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mash potatoes, and you can do the same with your KitchenAid countertop, with the added bonus that the paddle will mash most skins, saving you some peeling time if you choose to use it to go to the Yukon.
This story is adapted from Food IQ: 100 questions, answers and recipes