Boiled Potatoes the easy way

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Boiled Potatoes ?  Boiling potatoes is probably one of the easiest ways to cook and it is also the first step to prepare a classic meal : mashed potatoes.

Boiling Potatoes

You can boil potatoes with or without the skin. I don't like much the idea of eating potatoes with the skin, but according to many researches, the potato skin has minerals and nutrients and you may also notice that in many cooking TV shows, chefs cook and eat potatoes with the skin.

How to boil potatoes ?

Step 1

• Choose about 1 or 2 medium size potato per person. (Russet potatoes and red potatoes are the most recommended to boil) Rinse each potato under running water and you can also scrub them, gently, with a vegetable brush.
• Don't cook potatoes if they have a greenish color. If you find some potatoes with  green spots just peel it off . Why? Because the green color is a chemical reaction that happens when the potato skin reacts to light.
• Also, if you find potatoes with sprouts you MUST remove them by cutting them off. Sprouts (see the picture below) can be toxic and once you cut them off, the potato is ready to be cooked.

Step 2

• Now, peel the potatoes and cut them in small pieces. Remember to remove the sprouts and all green and dark spots.

Step 3

• When adding the potatoes to the pot, make sure the water covers all the potatoes. I like to add a little bit of salt before the potatoes begin to boil. Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Poke them with a fork to make sure they are done. Do not cover the pot while they are cooking.
• Many people ask the following: How long to boil potatoes?  When I boil potatoes, they are usually ready between 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 4

• Now that your boiled potatoes are done, remove the pot from the heat and drain. You can mash the potatoes with a potato masher or with a fork. Add butter (One tablespoon of butter for each 2 potatoes) , if you like, you can also add a little bit of salt. When adding milk, it  should not be cold , just heat the milk for a couple of minutes. Mix all the ingredients until mashed potatoes has a soft consistency. The more milk and butter you add, the softer it will get. The perfect mashed potatoes should be soft, but at the same time firm.

Check out the following recipes:

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed Potatoes Gourmet

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Asparagus and Potatoes Recipes

Mexican Potatoes : The Easy Salad

Whipped Mashed Potatoes

Jalapeno Potatoes

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Basic Potato Dumplings