Boiling potatoes is a key stage in preparing many dishes, whether they stay whole or become mash, chips or something else. For boiled potatoes served as a side, a few crucial steps ensure they turn out creamy and do not fall apart.
The most common mistake is rushing: filling the saucepan with boiling water from the kettle and starting from there. Although the hot water cuts heating time, it does the food a disservice by not allowing it to heat up gradually.
Start with cold water
Daniel Gritzer of Serious Eats says the critical step is covering the potatoes with cold water and starting the cooking process from cold. Potato flesh is fragile and can crumble once overcooked, so the potatoes need to cook uniformly. Plunging them into boiling water cooks the outside faster while the centre may stay underdone.
Starting from cold water lets the potatoes heat up gradually, reaching the correct temperature evenly from the outside to the core. This gives the pectin that binds their cell walls time to strengthen, so the potatoes keep a creamy consistency instead of turning to mush.
Stir and simmer gently
Stirring the pot occasionally is essential, giving every potato an equal chance to cook properly. Potatoes at the bottom cook faster than those at the top without stirring, so a quick mix ensures even cooking. The heat should stay at a gentle simmer rather than full, slowing the process and cooking the potatoes through consistently.
Gritzer also recommends adding considerably more salt to the water than might seem necessary. The skin acts as a barrier that impedes salt absorption, so generous seasoning increases the chance of the salt being absorbed. He describes himself as being 'pretty aggressive' with salt.
After draining and removing from the pan, adding butter and a pinch of extra salt provides a sheen and extra moisture, ensuring the potatoes do not turn out dry.
