Potatoes!

[ljr]

Seeing as its potatoes I felt ye needed a posting from Ireland. Of course the best I have every tasted are the ones my mother used to grow - particularly Duke of York a first early variety no longer grown commercially but still much in demand from gardeners (in Ireland and the UK) - my grandfather ran the market garden for one of the "big houses" in Munster and he swore by Duke of York. Best potatoes I tasted last year were organic Orlas (a variety developed in Ireland to be blight resistant and hence very popular with organic growers here). Currently in Ireland we are all eating Home Guards from Wexford and East Cork which are stunning and way better than the imported Italian, Israeli and Cypriot new potatoes we have had to suffer.

the Irish like their potatoes to be "little balls of flour" so the Home Guard (a first early) are dropped as soon as the British Queens arrive (this is a second early). Personally I adore the earthy, nutty, slightly waxier texture of home guard (Irish people do not use the word waxy - a potato is either floury or soapy!). I think Ireland is rather unique in this preferance as most of the varieties mentioned above would be considered soapy by your average Irish person. Incidentally you need floury and waxy potatoes for Irish stew - you need the waxy ones to retain their texture and the floury ones to thicken the sauce.

This year I finally got around to growing potatoes in various pots, buckets and bins (no garden) and I was quite restricted in what I could get small quantities of but my Lady Cristal (dutch early), Sapro Axona (organic blight resistant Hungarian main crop variety), Pink Fir Apples and Charlottes (both waxy main crops) are growing away. I also used a potato barrel (see this link) which seems to be working best of all.

I could go on and on as in Ireland the quality of the potatoes you serve is more important than the quality of the bread and probably even the meat...

[ActorDan]

Best potato(es) ever tasted were:

1. A Lyonnaise-type prepared by my friend Bob Morgan's 90 year old grandpa from Crete wherein potatoes are first parboiled, sliced and skined when cold then combined with onions sauteed earlier to carmelize together. See recipe in Mimi Sheraton's "From My Mother's Kitchen."

2. Gratin Dauphinoise served at any honest Parisian bistro.

Edited June 14, 2006 by ActorDan (log)

[Country Cook]

New Potatoes simmered in cream finished with butter, chopped mint and salt/pepper.

A convection baked russet cooked till the crust is crisp and the inside flakey, with your favorite toppings.

[tryska]

well y'all have just convinced me to plant potatoes in my porch garden, once the weather cools. I was on the fence about that, but not anymore.

Edited June 14, 2006 by tryska (log)

[ljr]

2. Gratin Dauphinoise served at any honest Parisian bistro.

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speaking of which: spotted this a couple of weeks ago - not sure how long it will be up so best to copy the page...

Figaroscope on the best places for potatoes in Paris - the best Gratin Dauphinoise is said to be le Cafe des Musees on rue de turenne in the third arr.

Edited June 16, 2006 by ljr (log)

[DTBarton]

A timely thread. My neighbor just gave us some Yukon Gold potatoes he dug from his garden a couple days ago. Best I've had in a long time, simply boiled with salt, pepper,and parsley. Amazing fresh earthy flavor.

[DTBarton]

For non garden fresh, the potatoes Lyonaisse at Joe's Stone Crab in South Beach we had in February were incredibly decadently delicious.

[dellis453]

We've been slowly eating our way through the range of potatoes that Carrolls produce, most of which are heritage potatoes. I must say my husband's chips made with British Queen potatoes cannot be beaten. That wonderful crispness on the outside, and just the right amount of flouriness outside mmmm

http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/