Partial Potatoes for Cooking in an Instant Pot
One of the toughest challenges in meal planning is predicting what kind of future you’re going to eat. I’m very bad at this because my palate often craves last-minute adventure, but one thing that always worries me is potatoes.
However, I don’t want to eat the same potatoes every day. Sometimes I want to knead them, sometimes I want them to be crispy, and having a few pounds of steamed potatoes allows me to enjoy whatever my mood demands.
Instead of spending 45 minutes frying, baking, or mashed potatoes, you can grab a serving of chicken legs and then fry or knead as you like. On Monday I partially cooked (partially cooked) some Yukon gold in my Instant Pot, and on Tuesday night I was able to cook the lard-fried beauties in about seven minutes. On Wednesday, I enjoyed a five minute puree. I’ll probably go back to crispy tonight.
Training
To make one week treat potatoes for the week, take a few pounds of your favorite ham (I love the yukons here), wash them, and chop them into 0.5 inch pieces (no peeling). Place them in an instant pot on the steamer stand or basket and pour a cup of water into the insert. Cook the potatoes under high pressure for five minutes, then release them by hand immediately. Potatoes are ready to fry, fry, or puree and can be refrigerated for up to a week.
For crisp potatoes
The quickest way to crisp is to fry in some delicious cooking oil. Heat a few tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil in a large stainless steel skillet or cast iron skillet until it starts to shimmer. Beef tallow and duck tallow are great, but vegetable oil works too. Fry as many potatoes as you like, a couple of minutes on each side, allowing the crust to form, before pouring onto the next side. (If the crust is not fully formed, the potatoes will stick.) When all sides are dark golden brown, transfer to paper towels and season with salt.
For mashed potatoes
Heat a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium to high heat for a few minutes, then add the required number of potato wedges, approximately eight pieces per person. Knead them for a few minutes to remove excess moisture. (If you have a potato holder, you can paint the potatoes directly in the cooking bowl and stir for about a minute.) Add a tablespoon of salted butter for every eight potato slices and continue chopping until the butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of mayonnaise to tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper, add another piece of butter if desired and enjoy.