Monsieur Potato Head

What is it about the French and potatoes? This lowly tuber is a national obsession (what other country would name a metro station after Antoine Parmentier, the man who brought the potato to France in the 18th century). Just have a look at the 81 (count ’em) pages of potato recipes in the famous Larousse guide to cooking;  Gratin Dauphinois, Pommes Duchesse, Pommes pont neuf, Gateau de pomme de terre, Pommes boulengere the legendary pommes frites, etc, etc.

Not only that, but the regions outdo themselves  preparing a myriad of regional specialities; raclette, tartiflette and the extraordinary ‘Aligot’. Otherwise known as the ‘ribbon of friendship’, this dish is a combination of local ‘Tome’ cow cheese and potatos, whipped together into a glutinous and fattening version of mashed potatos. The epitomy in comfort food. And the best thing about it is how it is eaten; around a table, scooped out in big stringy portions. The first string being wrapped on your head if you happen to be a Aligot ‘virgin’.

When in France make sure to travel to Aubrac – a wild region in central France and eat at ‘Chez Germaine’ ( Places des Fetes in Aubrac. Tel: 05 65 44 28 47) for the true Aligot experience.

The famous 'Chez Germaine'

Here are 3 great tips for cooking with potatoes:

– when making mashed potatos scrape the boiled potatoes through a sieve instead of mashing – it gives them the perfect texture

– if you are including potatoes in a soup, go light on the quantity so as not to make your soup too starchy and glutinous

– choose the right potato for its purpose. It makes all the difference in the end result. In general the higher the water content the better for frying. The lower the water content the better for baking. Here are a few guidelines to help you choose the correct variety.

 

General types:

A. Long white: A thin-skinned, all-purpose potato with firm, waxy texture.

B. Round white: A thin-skinned potato with firm, waxy texture; best for boiling and frying.

C. Round red: A thin-skinned potato with firm, waxy texture; good for boiling.

D. Russet: A thick-skinned potato with dry, mealy texture; good for baking and frying.

E. Purple: A violet-purple potato with purple meat and dry, mealy texture; for baking and frying. Retains its color when cooked.

F. Yellow: Several varieties with golden, thin skins, creamy yellow meat, and smooth texture; good for boiling and frying, some for baking. Mildly buttery in flavor, they are sold as Finnish Yellow, Yellow-Rose, and Yukon Gold.

G. New: New potatoes are those that haven’t been stored and are usually small. New red potatoes are widely available, but other varieties are appearing in more markets.

Specific varieties:

Accord	wedges
Belle de Fontenay	potato salad
Cara	chips, roast
Carlingford	wedges
Charlotte	potato salad
Desirée	roasted, potato dauphinoise, all-round use
Estima	boiled, baked
Harmony	boiled
King Edward	chips, roast, potato dauphinoise, all-round use
Marfona	boiled, baked, wedges
Maris Bard	new potatoes
Maris Peer	potato salad
Maris Piper	chips, roast, all-round use
Nadine	mash
Nicola	potato salad
Osprey	boiled
Premiere	new potatoes
Rocket	new potatoes
Romano	wedges
Rooster	roast
Sante	chips
Saxon	mash
Vivaldi	baked
Wilja	mash