Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Lardman on August 08, 2010, 18:19

Title: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: Lardman on August 08, 2010, 18:19

My useless (I have other words that I prefer to use) Setanta spuds turn to mush if I so much as show them a pot of boiling water.

Can they be used without them turning to grey slop ? I don't do chips so thats out and they're so badly scabbed I really don't think I could bring myself to bake them.

Is there a secret knack for stopping it ?

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: madcat on August 08, 2010, 18:57

I would try steaming them ....  My new PJs are inclined to collapse in boiling water, but steam beautifully.

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: Lardman on August 08, 2010, 20:42

Hypothetically speaking  ::)

In a poorly equipped, shoe box style, none cooks kitchen - how would one go about achieving steamed potatoes ?

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: kevinp on August 08, 2010, 20:59

Until I bought a proper steaming pan I used a colander on top of a pan of boiling water and put the lid of the saucepan into and onto of the veg to be steamed. I have since bought a proper steaming pan and there's no difference at all in how things cook.

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: madcat on August 08, 2010, 21:16

I did the same till someone gave me a steamer!   :D 

Big pan of water and sit colander over it - making sure that contents won't touch the water - very important.  Take colander out and shove lid on, bring to boil.  put spuds in colander (with sprig of mint if liked), quickly over water and use pan lid over spuds.  Keep the water boiling along and steam for maybe 15 mins and test.  Keep going till done.  Lift off, stand for a minute or so without lid to dry and serve ...

easy .... 

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: mumofstig on August 08, 2010, 21:42

when I was little (a very long time ago :lol: ) the Irish neighbours used to put their spuds on a clean cotton teatowel and tie it to the sucepan lid, so that when the lid was put back on the spuds n cloth were suspended over the water in which the bacon joint, stew, or other veg were cooking.
Lovely they were as well....big spuds cooked in their skins and peeled on your plate :)

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: madcat on August 10, 2010, 10:21

And we think that low carbon one pot cooking is a new thing!

Title: Re: Spuds going in the water.
Post by: Lardman on August 21, 2010, 15:19

Steamed
They go from hard as bullets 1 second to mush the next   :mad:

Dauphinoise
Hard, tough and chewy, both in the microwave and the oven.

Peeled, wedged and oven baked seems to be the only way they are usable.   :(