This article discusses various ways to make mashed potatoes, french fries, and hash browns. The methods range from simple to complex, with options for adding herbs, garlic, bacon, and other ingredients.
Mashed potatoes require little else besides potatoes and a little oil, or they can require everything from bacon to fried canned onions and sour cream. There are dozens of ways to make french fries. The wise cook knows how to pre-cook them in the skin before cooking, frying or grilling them. While the skins stay on, many cooks opt for organic, and a good scrubbing to remove residue is de rigueur.
Even a camping cook can create memorable hash browns. Three of the simplest methods both start with potatoes boiled in your pajamas and chilled. This can be a step up in convenience, as long as they’re kept refrigerated.
The first approach is the kind of fun that everyone enjoys. Having placed the slightly cooled potatoes on a cutting board, the cook simply breaks them apart with the palm of his hand. The best type of smash is done by gently but firmly pressing into the center of the potato with the heel of your palm until the spud resembles a hamburger. It goes without saying that the skins will crack here and there which is fine.
Next, the mashed potatoes get a generous drizzle of olive oil. It’s a good idea to flip them over to make sure both sides get the blessing. Dusted with any combination of herbs plus salt and pepper and roasted in a hot oven until tan and crispy, these little treats will vanish as soon as they’re served.
The second way to make mashed potatoes uses a heavy skillet on the stove instead of time in the belly of the oven. Some cooks cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, while others cook them lightly with the bottom of a jar. Tossed in melted butter or olive oil in a skillet with minced garlic and herbs, then flipped a bit until crispy all over, and voila – there’s perfection.
For cooks who prefer mashed potatoes that kiss the cousins of mashed potatoes, or those who eschew all that fat, a third approach is best. After roasting a few cloves of garlic in the oven, the cook simply mixes them into the boiled potatoes, gently crushing them as they are combined. Some chopped herbs, some cream and dinner are served.
Cooks who want to do the whole hog can toss one in the form of crispy, deep-fried bacon, ham, or sausage, or — what the heck — all three. This version calls for cream cheese or sour cream, or – what the heck – both. Roasted or sauteed shallots and garlic add to the enjoyment, and a crunchy container of cracked onion rings creates the kind of glorious flavors worth dying for. This one needs time in the oven to brown to perfection.
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