Par boil roast potatoes
I tend to par boil potatoes before roasting them; however, a common error that I make is to over par boil (or as it is otherwise know: boil). Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to ever get this right.
So my question is this: is there anything I can do "after the fact" to the potatoes to stop them falling to pieces in the oven?
Best Answer
Once the potatoes are overcooked, there is little you can do to give them structure again.
Your best bet would be to re-purpose the dish, making them into potato pancakes, a home fry, or some other type of dish, depending on how much structure is left.
In the future, you can minimize the chances of mushy breakdown by:
- Use a waxy potato (such as the US varieties Red Bliss or fingerling). These hold their structure better than starchy potatoes like Russets.
- Start the par-cook in cold water, and remove the potatoes as soon as it is comes to the boil. This will still shorten your roasting time, but minimize the likelihood of severely overcooking.
- Add a small amount of vinegar to the par-cooking liquid, which will help the pectin retain structure.
- Depending on the variety of potato you are cooking, don't cut them up into small chunks. It is much easier to overcook small chunks than larger ones.
- Don't par-cook. You will require longer for roasting, but it is slower and more controlled, and less likely to overcook.
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Should potatoes be parboiled before roasting?
Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.How do you Par boil potatoes?
You can parboil whole potatoes or use a paring knife to cut them into equally-sized potato pieces, peeling if desired. Bring a saucepan 3/4 of the way full of clean, cold water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Add cubed potatoes to the water and boil for 5 minutes.Can I par boil potatoes and roast later?
'Drain the boiled potatoes really well and leave them for a good long while afterwards to sit and cool. If you want to get ahead, why not boil them in advance, then toss in a little oil and store in the fridge until you're ready to roast them.Should I boil potatoes before frying?
No Need to Boil Since potatoes will turn brown once their flesh meets the air, store the potato slices in water in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours so that they keep their color. Be sure to drain and dry them thoroughly before frying.The Food Lab: How to Roast the Best Potatoes of Your Life | Serious Eats
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