jewels

So let's talk taters.

What's your favorite way to eat them? Have you dined upon an outstanding tater dish in a restaurant? Share your favorite recipe or preparation method, type of potatoes used and let's eat some potatoes!

BTW, this idea came from this video I happened upon. See if it inspires you.


Oh wait, my contribution?

My Smashed Potatoes

Slice two medium-large onions, preferably sweet or Spanish. Add to a couple of tablespoons of heated oil. Scrub and rinse a bunch of Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half and add to a huge pot of salted, boiling water. Cook until just tender, do NOT overcook. Drain the water. Add sauteed/fried (the way YOU like 'em) onions, freshly ground black pepper to taste, smoked paprika and chicken broth (or milk, depending on your diet) for texture and flavor. I've been known to throw in a handful of grated cheddar and/or some leftover bacon.

Oh. And then mash gently with large fork (I use a serving fork) so that it's chunky. Yes, leave the skin on.

Crowd pleasing, easy peasey, quick and scrumptious.

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Willravel

Spuds are freaking awesome. My personal favorite way to have them, which I only have like once a year, is hash browns.

I almost want to put spoiler tags around this.

Willravel's Stupidly Overcomplicated Hash Browns
2 Russet potatoes, grated as thickly as possible
1 cup of real duck fat
1 tsp real truffle oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

Grate your potatoes into a large container full of cold, filtered water. Soak for 15 minutes and then drain. It's very important that you dry off the potatoes as completely as possible. I use a tea towel, squeezing the contents seriously.

In a very large pan or on a restaurant type of griddle, melt down the duck fat until it gets to be about 320 degrees. being careful to spread out the potatoes as much as possible, spread out the potatoes (did I mention to spread them out?) into the pan or onto the griddle. Move around at about 1 minute, 30 seconds in (or about halfway done) and sprinkle the trufle oil and rosemary over the potatoes. At 3 minutes total, remove the potatoes to a paper towel to drain a bit. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with smoked salmon and/or eggs.

jewels

Just sayin ...

Any chance canola or even chicken fat would do the job?

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Willravel

Oh, absolutely! The recipe above is about ridiculous indulgence.

snowy

I'm half-Dutch; of course I love potatoes. I love 'em mashed, love 'em roasted, love 'em as hash browns, tater tots, what have you. I love potato leek soup. And you know what's coming up!?!

HANUKKAH!

Mmm, latkes.

Here is a very basic recipe from Epicurious that resembles what I do:

Potato Latkes Recipe at Epicurious.com

What is the secret to making great latkes? We found that the starchier the potato, the crisper the latke. As for varieties, we tested baking potatoes (the starchiest), Yukon Golds, and boiling potatoes (the least starchy) and liked the flavor of them all. You can easily double this recipe for a crowd.
Yield: Makes 12 to 16 latkes
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 45 min

1 pound potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce



Preheat oven to 250°F.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.

Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

Cooks' notes:
·Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Reheat on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes.
·Grating the potatoes, soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid (as we've done here) keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly.

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noodle

Man, I make killer mashed potatoes, per S's thoughts anyway.

Couple of the smaller white potatoes, chunked, skin on, boiled until soft.
Sautee one or two green onions (sliced), three cloves of roasted garlic (minced or sliced), in 1 t of EVOO.
Blend potatoes with a hand mixer and three blops of whole milk until chunky.
stir in the onion/garlic mix, and a big handful of grated cheese of choice, dump in cracked pepper, kosher salt and assorted herbs as desired.
Add a healthy squirt of sriracha (but not too much or the potatoes turn an odd, unappetizing shade of pinky-orange).
Mush around without breaking up the lumps too much and serve hot.

needless to say, my lactose intolerant self doesn't eat these.
But I'll eat potatoes in any milk-less form.
My favorite Irish pub actually takes their homemade corned beef and chops it with diced potatoes and onions and cooks it in a pan until the potatoes are browned to make their own corned beef hash. It's my favorite way to eat potatoes these days.

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L_Driver

I love potatoes: mashed, mashed then fried, fried, baked with carmelized onions topped with delicious spices. The only way I don't like them are when they are scalloped. Usually I can never turn down a bite of potato

Xazy

I do for every 5 potato, 1 egg, the rest sounds right, fry it, and yum. Add a little black pepper as well.

Or do a similiar recipe and make a kugel, 10 potato, 2 egg, 1 onion, salt pepper. A drop of oil in the mix. As well line the tin or pan lightly with oil, then preheat the pan in the oven to 425, then take the hot oil in the pan pour it in to the mix, then back in to the pan, bake, for normally an hour, and yum!

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Leto

TATER TOTS are my favourite. At breakfast with bacon and eggs. sprinkle with malt vinegar and salt, mayo and ketchup on the side for dipping.


Another guilty pleasure is poutine. Whenever I feel like I need a few extra pounds, I indulge in some poutine:

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Xerxys

I dislike the potato. I don't even like french fries. I find it an incredibly bland food stuff.

Craven Morehead

Two of my favorites, both personal creations. Both are very simple.

The first is an adaptation of a baked potato that my Grandmother used to make. She would slice a baking potato lengthwise, score the sliced half in a checkerboard pattern, cover it with butter and place face down on a cookie sheet in the oven. I've modified that for the grill. I prepare the potato as she did, butter the sliced portion but also the skin. Sprinkle with course salt and ground pepper. Place face down on aluminum foil that I have spayed with Pam (canola oil version) and bake on the top rack of my grill (cover closed, approx 400 degrees). Takes about 30 minutes. Really great with chops or steaks. Probably my favorite potato.

The other is also for the grill. Peel and cube as many potatoes as needed. Microwave them until nearly cooked. Place them in a huge foil packet and add butter, and various cheeses (cubes of cheese). Seal the foil packet and place on the grill to allow the cheese to melt. Makes a great potato side dish that is fairly easy to prepare and does not take much time on the grill as it is nearly cooked when you place it on the grill.

Grasshopper Green

I love potatoes, although I don't fix them very much. My mom made lots of potatoes growing up - they were filling and good for a tight budget. I miss her home fries and mashed potatoes. She'd always say her mashed potatoes were lumpy, but I like some lumps in mine. They'd always give me the hiccups, though.

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Charlatan

I like all forms of potatoes but my favourite is a mashed potato.

I boil them with the skin on. I use a ricer to mash them. Then I add melted butter and warm milk and some thyme or rosemary. A little salt and pepper to taste. Done.

Nice and simple.

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