Blanching is a technique used to partially cook food to make it cook faster once it is included in a recipe. Potatoes are blanched frequently as they cook slower than most other ingredients. This article will guide you step by step by explaining how to blanch potatoes and how to use them in a recipe.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Potatoes
Step 1. Wash the potatoes
Read the recipe to find out if they need to be peeled or if they should be used with the peel.
- If the potatoes do not need to be peeled, scrub the peel thoroughly under running water until it is perfectly clean.
- If the potatoes need to be peeled, use a knife or potato peeler. Be careful not to cut yourself while using the knife and peel them over a bowl or directly over the waste basket to make cleaning easier. Rinse them one last time after peeling them to ensure maximum hygiene.
Step 2. If necessary, cut them into evenly sized pieces
Potatoes take a long time to cook, which is why it is best to blanch them. To make sure they all cook at the same time, cut them into evenly sized pieces, otherwise the larger potatoes won't be cooked yet when the smaller ones are ready.
Normally, the smaller the potatoes, the faster they cook. Cut the largest potatoes in quarters so that they all have the same texture when blanched
Part 2 of 3: Blanch the Potatoes
Step 1. Fill a saucepan with room temperature water and put the potatoes in it
To ensure even cooking, the water must completely cover the potatoes and must exceed them by a couple of centimeters.
Make sure the potatoes are clean and uniform in size. If possible, blanch them all at once to make sure they all have the same consistency
Step 2. Boil the water
If the potatoes are small or medium, cook them for 7-10 minutes. If they are large, cook them for about 12-15 minutes.
Some people prefer to bring the water to a boil and then turn off the heat immediately, leaving the potatoes in the boiling water on the hot stove. Generally this method requires 15 minutes of cooking with the heat off, but it is preferable to others if you do not want to risk overcooking the potatoes
Step 3. Drain the potatoes when the time is up
If you're not sure if the potatoes are cooked, stick them with a fork. For an ideal result, the potatoes should be soft on the outside and still raw in the center, where they must resist the fork.
You can also use the knife to check if the potatoes are ready. Are they soft on the outside and easy to cut while in the center they are harder, lighter and still a little raw? If so, they are perfectly blanched
Step 4. Immediately dip the potatoes into cold water
This will stop the cooking process. After cooling them, the potatoes will be ready to be included in your recipes.
Once blanched, the potatoes won't last long, so try to use them to the max within a couple of days. If you put them in a plastic bag they will become mushy, so place them in a bowl and store them in the refrigerator
Part 3 of 3: Using Blanched Potatoes
Step 1. If it's new potatoes, you can roast them in the oven
One of the best ways to use blanched potatoes is to roast them in the oven. They will remain soft on the inside, while a really inviting golden crust will form on the outside.
If you want to roast potatoes in the oven, read this article as well
Step 2. Stir-fry them along with other vegetables for a vegetarian dish
One of the reasons potatoes need to be blanched is that they cook much slower than most vegetables. If you blanch them, you can stir-fry them along with other vegetarian ingredients because they will require a similar cooking time.
Step 3. Make hash browns (typically Anglo-Saxon potato pancakes)
Like roast potatoes, if you blanch the potatoes before grating them, the hash browns will develop a delicious crust on the outside while remaining fluffy on the inside. You can follow this recipe.
Step 4. Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes and starchy vegetables can also be blanched, including carrots. Once you have learned to appreciate the potential of this cooking technique, you can expand your repertoire and apply it to other starchy tubers and vegetables.
Advice
- Blanched potatoes are also an excellent ingredient for pizza, curries, salads or to be fried, for example in the form of croquettes. Many choose to blanch them even before roasting them in the oven.
- For some preparations, it is necessary to blanch the potatoes already cut. Follow the recipe instructions for both the type of cut and the cooking time.
- Potatoes suitable for boiling are best suited for blanching, while softer and floury varieties may flake.
