What is the best Potato variety for Vichyssoise?

[larry_stewart]

My leeks are kicking butt this year, so I sense vichyssoise in the not too distant future.

Is there a better or best variety of potato to use for this soup.

I would assume it would be one that I'd want to break down and not be so grainy when it does.

I know yukon gold hold together pretty well, so Im guessing that wouldn't be a great choice.

I also know that the store has about a dozen other varieties, so a little advanced help would be appreciated.

Thanks ,
larry

[puffin3]

Yukon Gold.
All the same approximate size. Unpeeled. Into lots of already boiling water with a good pinch of Kosher salt.
Allow to get REALLY soft. Not falling apart but just about.
Drain. Into cold water so you can handle them. Use a plastic scrubby-pad to gently remove the skins which will slide off very easily.
Pass through a sieve for a nice smooth puree.
IMO they are the best to use for vich....
The golden color of the flesh adds a nice element also.

[Andy M.]

When I make potato leek soup, I use russets.

[dcSaute]

Larry -

there are high starch, low starch and the in-between starch types.

the high starch varieties tend to fall apart and thicken things up upon plentiful cooking - these are the russets

the low starch types aka "waxy" do not fall apart when cooked.. reds, fingerling, yukon typical of these.

then the All Purpose Potato - in betweenish.

the low starch types are not going to give you the results you're looking for in a thickened soup environment.

russets are your best bet for a soup.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

When I make potato leek soup, I use russets.

I have always used russets with excellent results

[CWS4322]

Yukon gold potatoes were developed in Ontario. They are just coming into season. They are categorized as a fluffy potato.


The reds are typically classified as smooth potatoes and make the best mashed potatoes. My favorite red is Norland. We've been digging new red potatoes for about 10 days now. Many people like the Desiree, another red variety.


Yukon golds are the ones preferred for fries (ours aren't quite yet "fry size" we like them to be about 4 inches long for fries). Yukon golds have a slightly mealy texture. For a creamy soup, I am in the red camp.


I am partial to Russian blues...I love to make a potato salad using red, white, and blue baby potatoes dressed with oil-vinegar and fresh herbs. When it is hot and humid out, I like a lighter potato salad than one with a creamy dressing.

[dcSaute]

curious. it seems opinions do not all agree.
http://www.ciaprochef.com/potatoes/pdf/PotatoTypes.pdf
Potato Types | Types of Potatoes | Potatoes, Goodness Unearthed
Food: Potato basics: First, find the starch content

and on and on and on.

[CWS4322]

Or, you can run to the library and see if they have a copy of Alex Barker/Sally Mansfield's book Potato if you'd like to learn more about potatoes than you ever thought you needed to know. I've been working my way through recipes for different varieties and making with "regular" potatoes to do taste/texture comparisons.

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

Yukon gold potatoes were developed in Ontario. They are just coming into season. They are categorized as a fluffy potato.


The reds are typically classified as smooth potatoes and make the best mashed potatoes. My favorite red is Norland. We've been digging new red potatoes for about 10 days now. Many people like the Desiree, another red variety.


Yukon golds are the ones preferred for fries (ours aren't quite yet "fry size" we like them to be about 4 inches long for fries). Yukon golds have a slightly mealy texture. For a creamy soup, I am in the red camp.


I am partial to Russian blues...I love to make a potato salad using red, white, and blue baby potatoes dressed with oil-vinegar and fresh herbs. When it is hot and humid out, I like a lighter potato salad than one with a creamy dressing.

Go figure, I think reds are the worst for mashed potato. I think the "fluffy" kind would be the best for mashed potato. They would also be good for the potato soup, since they have to be mashed, sort of...

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by dcSaute

curious. it seems opinions do not all agree.

no wonder, we cannot even agree here on a simple site and there you bring up all kind of professional opinions.

[Cheryl J]

Just my personal preferences - Russets for soups, stews, and good ol' baked, Yukon golds for mashed, and reds for potato salad.

[puffin3]

Whenever I'm faced with this sort of question I always ask "what type/s of potatoes were used when the first vichyssoise/s were created.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by puffin3

Whenever I'm faced with this sort of question I always ask "what type/s of potatoes were used when the first vichyssoise/s were created.

How would you know the answer to that question?

[puffin3]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

How would you know the answer to that question?

Research old French recipes. They exist going back as far back as Carmen,

'Larousse' has an old recipe for potato and leek soup.
Goggle the type of potatoes the French had access to in the markets like Le Halles.
This information isn't hard to find. Bintje, Belle de Fontenay, Sterling, Viola, Ratte, Roseval and Rosa to name a few. The latter two being very popular.

[Andy M.]

What was available in the French country-side a couple of hundred years ago, while interesting, may not be relevant. Among the potato types generally available at my supermarket, I choose russets as they have a creamier texture in the soup. YMMV

[puffin3]

I know russets are used a lot as are other potato varieties.
I just enjoy trying to make food from the most original recipes if I can find them. It's one of my retirement hobbies.
Like today I'm making a gastrique for a leg of lamb.
I've been scouring my Larousse and Escoffier books for old recipes.
Just having fun with food.

[Andy M.]

That sound interesting. Do you then cook a modern version of the recipe to compare?

[puffin3]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

That sound interesting. Do you then cook a modern version of the recipe to compare?

Ya I've done that. Take flour for instance. The flour that was milled from the type of wheat they grew a hundred years ago in C. France was very different than our AP flour today.
I know a french baker who imports his flour from a small mill in rural France b/c he claims it's a "poorer quality" than Canadian flour and therefore it makes for a "better baguette".
I bought a couple of pounds of the French milled flour and tried it in a classic roux. (I follow Escoffier's recipe for making a roux: 6 parts flour to 5 parts clarified butter.) At the same time I made a roux from AP flour.
The French roux produced a slightly heavier denser sauce even though I used the exact same amounts of liquid (to the gram). It took more whisking to incorporate the hot chicken stock.
I could taste somewhat of a difference but I couldn't explain the specific difference. Just more 'earthy' maybe?