THIS unassuming little tuber has a lot going for it - it's nutritious, inexpensive, low in calories (before you add the butter and sour cream), available anywhere and can be prepared in hundreds of ways.
It's a veritable chameleon in its ability to transform itself into countless different forms - creamy mashed, crunchy roasted, crispy fries, creamy scalloped, silky potato soup - the list is endless.
The recipes here may give you a whole new respect for Mr. Potato.
DOUBLE STUFFED POTATOES
A recipe from Rachael Ray - yummo! Awesome with steak, chicken, ribs, or just on their own.
2 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked several times with a fork Olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped into
½-inch pieces
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp soft butter
sour cream 1 ?3 cup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Rub the potatoes with a small amount of olive oil and place them on a microwavesafe plate; microwave on high for 12 minutes, turning endfor-end once.
While the potatoes cook, add chopped bacon to the hot skillet and brown until crisp. Add green onions and cook one minute more. Transfer bacon and onions to a paper towel to drain.
Preheat broiler to high. When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash together with butter and sour cream until well combined; stir in cheese, bacon and green onions and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scoop mixture back into the potato skins and place on a cookie sheet; put under broiler, six inches from heat, until brown, about five minutes. Makes four servings.
PERFECT ROAST POTATOES
You don't need many ingredients for this recipe - it's the technique that makes the difference.
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3 Tbsp softened butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks about one-inch thick and two inches wide.
Place potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and cook until just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot; shake gently over the residual heat of the stove element until the potatoes are dry and the outsides look a bit "shaggy."
Meanwhile, in the oven, melt the butter in the baking dish you plan to use for the potatoes. Once potatoes are dry, place them in the pan with the melted butter and turn them gently with tongs to coat. Roast for about 45 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy, turning potatoes halfway through cooking. Makes four servings.
POTATO PANCAKES (LATKES)
These make a great vegetarian entrée or, if you make them on the small side, a nice appetizer. They're best made right before you eat them, but you can make them ahead and reheat at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
4 large Russet potatoes
1 small onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Sour cream and applesauce (if desired) for serving
Spread a clean dish towel inside a large mixing bowl. Peel the potatoes and onion and shred through the largest holes on a box grater. Dump the shredded mixture into the towel-lined bowl, gather up the towel and squeeze shredded potatoes over the bowl until you've gotten out all the liquid you can. Discard liquid.
Add a generous quantity of peanut oil to a large frying pan (at least 1 ?8-inch deep). Preheat the pan over medium heat while you finish making the pancakes.
Add the eggs, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper to the potatoes and mix thoroughly with your hands. Test to see if oil is hot with the end of a chopstick - if little bubbles form around the end of the chopstick it's hot enough. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls into the oil, a few at a time - for crisp, lacy pancakes flatten with a spoon.
Cook until brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Don't overcook, they should still be moist inside.
Remove to a plate covered with paper towels and drain. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to pan if necessary (keep finished pancakes warm in a 250 degree oven while the rest are cooking).
Serve with sour cream, and the traditional warm applesauce if you like.
