How Not to Cook Potatoes: 3 Outrageous Mistakes That Make the Dish Unpalatable

23.11.2024 02:30

Boiled potatoes are an easy-to-prepare dish.

However, many gourmets still make serious mistakes when creating this standard side dish.

As a result, the potatoes are not as crumbly and tasty as we would like.

So, what are the common and gross mistakes that turn boiled nightshade into a not-so-appetizing dish?

This question was answered by the expert of the online publication Belnovosti in the field of cooking, chef, fourth-class baker Yulia Arkhipova.

potato
Photo: © Belnovosti

It's too early to throw potatoes in the pot

Many amateur cooks do the following: they put the peeled and cut tubers into an empty saucepan, fill the vegetable with water and put the pan on the stove.

But the correct order of actions is this: pour water into a saucepan, place the container on a switched-on burner, wait for the liquid to boil, and only then throw in the potatoes.

The vegetable must be exposed to temperature changes!

If the peeled potatoes end up in already boiling water, the starch will be “sealed.” As a result, the side dish will become crumbly.

Use a lot of water

There is one more important point related to liquid: there shouldn’t be too much of it.

The water should just cover the nightshade.

Too much liquid can cause the potatoes to become watery and tasteless.

Add salt at the wrong time

In addition, the water in which the vegetable is cooked should not be salted too early.

Sodium chloride can be added only after 5-7 minutes after the liquid starts to boil.

If this condition is met, the nightshade will retain its ideal shape and consistency.

For reference

Boiled potatoes are an easy-to-prepare dish made from peeled potatoes boiled in salted water or steamed.

Author: Kurchev Anton Deputy Editor-in-Chief
 
Expert: Julia Arkhipova Expert / Belnovosti

Content
  1. It's too early to throw potatoes in the pot
  2. Use a lot of water
  3. Add salt at the wrong time