Two hot tips

[Regallion]

This may or may not be news to you established gourmands but I wanted to post based on my recent personal experience.

1 - Potatoes in Chicken Stock
If you're boiling, roasting, par-boiling, mashing or whatever - cook your potatoes in chicken stock. The flavour is just outstanding. My favourite is crushed boiled new potatoes in stock. Boil as normal in the stock and when done, just crush with the back of a fork. Add some herbs. Amazing.

I make my own stock when I can, but I also sneakily keep some pre-made stuff from the supermarkets in reserve which to honest tastes just as good (although very pricey).

2 - Balsamic vinegar and tomatoes
This goes superbly with any tomato based sauce / dish. Just add a splash and it totally transforms the taste. It's packed with Umami! I just made a vegetable dish with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and pancetta (simlply stir-fried).

Please try them and experiment - you won't be disappointed!

 

[kitchenelf]

I do love to make potato salad where the potatoes have been boiled in chicken stock. I did that ONCE only. A lot of my friends are vegetarian so, needless to say, unless it's just for us, I don't do that anymore

If you are just using raw tomatoes try reducing your balsamic and then drizzle - superb!!!!!

Thanks for the tips - it's always good to be reminded of tips that can be forgotten from time to time.

 

[college_cook]

1 - Potatoes in Chicken Stock
If you're boiling, roasting, par-boiling, mashing or whatever - cook your potatoes in chicken stock. The flavour is just outstanding. My favourite is crushed boiled new potatoes in stock. Boil as normal in the stock and when done, just crush with the back of a fork. Add some herbs. Amazing.

I think if you're going to all the trouble or expense to make/buy chicken stock for potatoes, you may as well cook your spuds in duck fat- potatoes benefit quite a bit from some added fat, and I really dont know many more substances more flavorful than duck fat.

 

[Sanosarah]

I think if you're going to all the trouble or expense to make/buy chicken stock for potatoes, you may as well cook your spuds in duck fat- potatoes benefit quite a bit from some added fat, and I really dont know many more substances more flavorful than duck fat.

I think that's a little extreme. Stock is something everyone should have around to use when needed and is used to flavour all kinds of things. It can be very salty, but is nowhere near as bad for you as duck fat is. It is also much more widely available.

How does one even acquire an entire pot of potatoes worth of duck fat to boil them in?

Let me just check my duck fat reservoir here in the freezer...

 

[buckytom]

isn't boiling in fat is actually deep frying?

 

[Maverick2272]

You mean there is a use for my Balsamic Vinegar?? Cool....

 

[Regallion]

Frying potatoes in goose / duck fat (or roasting) was a big fad a couple of years ago here when Jamie Oliver suggested it on a Sainsburys ad.

I find it too cloying though. In my opinion you can't beat roasting potatoes in olive oil (not to mention being better for you I'd imagine).

The stock idea was mainly for boiling, but it's also nice for the par-boiling stage of roasting your pots.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I use a brand of chicken soup base called "Better Than Boulion". It has a taste that is nearly equal to a home made chicken broth. I sometimes will add it to the milk, cream, or canned milk I use when mashing potatoes. It adds a wonderful flavor.

And since we are giving tips here, there is a product called "Washington's Deep Brown Sauce" that is incredible when mixed with meat drippings for beef gravy, soups, or au jus.

Also, when making pot pies, or meat pies, add a bit of dried boullion to the water you will be using in the crust to compliment the meat and veggie fillings.

Duck eggs make great fried or scrambled eggs. The yolk is so rich. I want to try using the yolks in custard. I think the naturally sweet duck yolk would compliment most sweet pudings or custards. And maybe duck yolks should be substituted for chicken yolks in french vanilla ice cream, or in egg nog.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[college_cook]

I think that's a little extreme. Stock is something everyone should have around to use when needed and is used to flavour all kinds of things. It can be very salty, but is nowhere near as bad for you as duck fat is. It is also much more widely available.

How does one even acquire an entire pot of potatoes worth of duck fat to boil them in?

Let me just check my duck fat reservoir here in the freezer...

Whether or not everyone SHOULD have stock is really a separate issue. I agree with you, but let's face it- the average American home cook today is much more focused on their dressed-up pre-fab 30-minute creations to be bothered with the time/expense to keep stock in their house all the time. I love stock- but I sure as heck don't have time to make enough of it to keep around all the time. When I make stock I don't cut corners, so it's a 2 day process for me, and most people just don't have that kind of time, and even more, they probably don't care enough to make that time. Stock, for most people, involves a special trip to the store to buy an over-salty overpriced product.

I guess my feeling is, as long as you're going to shell out to get some extra flavor into your potatoes- duck/goose fat is another option- one that I'll bet the majority of folks haven't had the chance to pursue before.