There are so many different ways to cook potatoes, and we’ve got them all right here! From fried to roasted, learn how to make your favorite potato.
The potato while widely common has only been known to the civilized world since the 1500’s. When Spanish conquistadors in what would become Chili and Peru they met the Inca tribes. The Inca’s had been eating potatoes since around 500bc and introduced their food to the conquistadors.
The conquistadors took the potatoes back to Spain when they returned home making them the first to introduce the potato to Europe. Potatoes were introduced to different areas of America, Ireland, and Britain over the next several years. Slowly and in some cases quickly becoming a stable part of the diet in many different countries.
Potatoes are the basis for many dishes. From french fries to potato soup its’ hard to think comfort food without thinking about the homely spud. With all the different uses of potatoes it would seem there are dozens of different ways to cook them. However each of different dish is made from one of three basic ways of cooking.
Fried
Frying involves the use of a skillet and hot oil to cook potatoes until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Fried potato dishes include french fries, hash browns, home style fried potatoes.
Baked
Baking potatoes entails using an oven to cook the potato. Baking is used to cook potatoes when the goal of the end result is to cook the potato to the point where it is soft all the way through but not browning the potato.
Baked potatoes are the most common way of using baking to prepare potatoes, however, it is not the only dish prepared by baking. Potato casseroles are created by baking as well. There are many different variations of potato based casseroles with the cook choosing from an almost endless list of possible ingredient.
Boiled
Boiling potatoes is the use of water and a pot to cook the potatoes. Boiled potatoes is used in making mashed potatoes, potato soup, and similar potato dishes.
Microwave
It is possible to bake potatoes in the microwave. If using a microwave check the potato often since there is a fine line between cooked and a dried out mess. Most microwaves have a button specifically designed for baking potatoes but given the extreme variations between the sizes of different varieties of potatoes means that the button is somewhat unreliable.
When cooking potatoes that are sliced or diced it is important to cut them as evenly as possible so each piece finishes cooking at the same time. Potato dishes tend to be both simple to make and delicious.
