Description
Brought from the Andes by Spanish sailors, the potato was long viewed with suspicion in Europe: for almost two centuries it was grown as an ornamental plant, for its flowers, or as animal feed. Then famines turned it into the food that fed entire generations.
Today it is the most democratic ingredient there is, but not all potatoes are the same. Waxy, yellow-fleshed ones, such as mountain potatoes, are perfect roasted and in salads because they hold their shape; floury, white-fleshed ones are ideal for mash, gnocchi and soups.
If they are organic, keep the skin on: just scrub them well under running water. Try them boiled in their skins, then smashed and roasted with spices and good olive oil: crispy outside and soft inside.
Today it is the most democratic ingredient there is, but not all potatoes are the same. Waxy, yellow-fleshed ones, such as mountain potatoes, are perfect roasted and in salads because they hold their shape; floury, white-fleshed ones are ideal for mash, gnocchi and soups.
If they are organic, keep the skin on: just scrub them well under running water. Try them boiled in their skins, then smashed and roasted with spices and good olive oil: crispy outside and soft inside.
