Red potatoes are perfect for boiling. Once boiled, these potatoes can be easily prepared to make any desired dish. You can boil it on the stove or put it in the microwave. Either way, boiled red potatoes are a versatile ingredient that can be prepared and enjoyed in a variety of ways.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Washing and Cutting Potatoes
Step 1. Choose a ripe potato with a smooth skin
Make sure you choose potatoes that are good for cooking. When shopping, check carefully which potatoes to choose. Choose potatoes with smooth skin, no bumps, and no discoloration. Ripe potatoes also taste tough.
Immature potatoes are characterized by dark spots, the presence of shoots, and a greenish color
Step 2. Wash the potatoes
Before boiling, wash the potatoes under running water. Scrub the surface with your hands or a brush to remove any visible dirt or soil.
Do not wash potatoes with soap
Step 3. Leave the peel on
Red potatoes can be boiled along with the skin. This can retain the flavor of the potatoes when boiled, and give them a beautiful texture. Potato skins also contain a lot of nutrients.
Step 4. Cut the potatoes
Potatoes will cook faster if they are cut into small pieces. Cut the potatoes into small squares of the same size.
- If you want to mash them, you don't have to worry about the size of the potatoes. However, if you want to make something like potato salad, adjust the size according to the recipe you're using. The recipe will list the exact size of the potatoes.
- If you don't follow any recipe, cut the potatoes into about 1 to 2 centimeters thick.
Part 2 of 3: Boiling Potatoes Using the Stove
Step 1. Soak the potatoes in water
Put the potatoes in the pot. Pour in the water to cover all the potatoes. Since salt can add flavor to potatoes when boiled, add about a tablespoon and a half (20-30 ml) of salt to the water.
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil
Place a pot of water on the stove over high heat. Keep the pot on the stove until the water boils.
Step 3. Boil the potatoes until tender
Once the water boils, set the stove to medium high heat. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes. When finished, the potatoes will be tender. You should be able to cut the potatoes easily with a fork.
- When done, drain the potatoes through a colander placed over the sink.
- If you're following a recipe, cook the potatoes according to that recipe. If the recipe calls for firm potatoes, boil the potatoes for a short amount of time.
Part 3 of 3: Serving Potatoes
Step 1. Make mashed potatoes using boiled red potatoes
While mashed potatoes are usually made from brown (or light brown) potatoes, you can also make delicious mashed potatoes with red potatoes. If you want to enjoy mashed potatoes, mash them with a fork after you boil them.
- If you want to mash them, you can boil the potatoes for 5-10 minutes longer to make them softer.
- In addition to butter, you can also add milk to the potatoes before mashing them.
Step 2. Make potato salad
To make cold potato salad with red potatoes, you'll need to boil, drain, and place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more to cool. Next, mix the potatoes with the other ingredients to make a potato salad.
- Cut the potatoes when they are cold. Cut to a thickness of no more than 2.5 cm.
- Add 6 slices of hard-boiled eggs, 450 grams of bacon, fried and thinly sliced, 1 chopped celery stick, 1 chopped onion, and 2 cups (500 ml) mayonnaise. Stir all ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Refrigerate the potato salad before you serve it.
Step 3. Add cheese
A simple way to serve boiled red potato salad is to cover it with baked or melted cheese. If you want a quick, effortless way to go, use parmesan cheese. However, if you have a lot of time and a little effort, use cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
- You can also sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese without having to do anything else.
- If using mozzarella, cheddar, or similar cheese, sprinkle the cheese over the drained boiled potatoes. Microwave the potatoes that have been sprinkled with cheese for about 30 seconds to allow the cheese to melt.
- If you want to bake the cheese lightly and make the edges of the potatoes a little crunchy, place the boiled potatoes and sprinkled with cheese in a greased baking dish and bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 180 °C.
Step 4. Sprinkle the potatoes with extra sauce or seasoning
Red potatoes are flexible so you can combine them with a variety of sauces made from savory herbs and spices. Experiment with different spices to add flavor to your potatoes.
- For example, if you want to quickly add flavor and color to drained boiled red potatoes, you can sprinkle with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of paprika powder.
- You can also mix 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of paprika powder and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil and stir until well combined. Add the drained boiled potatoes to this mixture so that the flavors of the peppers and olive oil will soak into the potatoes.
Step 5. Make stuffed potatoes
While stuffed potatoes usually use baked yellow potatoes, you can make a similar dish using boiled and drained red potatoes. This is perfect as an appetizer for a party.
- When the potatoes are still whole, slice them into small pieces.
- Place the potatoes on a plate.
- Coat the potatoes with butter until they are evenly coated. Cover with grated cheddar cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, and some chopped fresh chives or scallions. You can also add sliced bacon.
