Why do you put baking soda in potatoes?

I love it when cooking involves a bit of a science experiment. In this case, research suggested adding baking soda to the pot when parboiling potatoes; having water of higher alkalinity than usual helps the outside edges of the potatoes break down more, opening up the possibility of a crisper outside texture .

What happens if you don't soak potatoes before baking?

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes . Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Do you have to boil potatoes before baking them?

Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.

Why are my potatoes not getting crispy in the oven?

An overcrowded pan will turn a sauna into a steam bath ; Your potatoes will cook, but they'll be soft, moist, and bland like steamed potatoes. Even if you're tempted to save dishes by throwing a mound of potatoes onto one baking sheet, parsing them out over two will give them the space they need to crisp up.

Why won't my potatoes crisp in the oven?

You might not be using enough oil . If you're not using enough oil to coat the potato, it won't get crispy as it bakes. You might be using the wrong type of potato. Potatoes with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes, are better for baking because they become fluffy and crispy when cooked.

What makes a potato crisp?

Cooking potatoes twice—once in water, and a second time in hot oil —is hands-down the best way to achieve extra-crispy potatoes at home.

Does baking soda take starch out of potatoes?

Baking Soda: Read this article for the food science deep dive (which isn't really my bag). But to give you the Cliff's Notes version, the baking soda alkalizes the water. It breaks down the pectin in the potato and brings the natural starches up to the surface .

Does baking soda remove starch from potatoes?

America's Test Kitchen often recommends adding baking soda to the water in which you will boil potatoes, which further coaxes out the starch molecules . Aim for ½ teaspoon baking soda for every 8 to 10 cups or water, or 2 to 3 pounds of potatoes.

What does adding vinegar to potatoes do?

When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary . The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.

Is it better to boil potatoes with vinegar or baking soda?

Vinegar allows you to boil the potatoes the longest and keep them firm but I didn't get the soft outer surface I wanted. (I did get very creamy middles though!) Good, but not quite. Baking soda starts softening the outside right away, long before the middles are cooked.

Crispy Lemon-Saffron Potatoes With Black Peppercorns Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Christmas

by: yasminfahr

April18,2021

6 Ratings

Crispy Lemon-Saffron Potatoes With Black Peppercorns Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Serves 4 as a side

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

These stovetop potatoes are first browned in the pan, then finished cooking with a lemon-saffron water and black peppercorns to give it a rich and spicy flavor. The braising liquid reduces down to a thick consistency that coats and infuses the potatoes, also giving them a bright, orangey color.

If you make them in a cast-iron or other attractive skillet, then serve them directly out of the pan, or, if transferring to a serving platter, make sure to scrap every last bit of liquid in the pan (or take a piece of bread and wipe it clean, no one will judge you once they taste it). Serve any leftover potatoes for breakfast with eggs, cooking them in a pan until hot and crispy. —yasminfahr

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
1 ¹/₂ poundsbaby potatoes, quartered (small ones halved)
1 teaspoonkosher salt, plus more to taste
¹/₄ cupfreshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 teaspoonsaffron threads, crushed and dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoonwhole black peppercorns
¹/₄ cupflat-leaf parsley and fine stems, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Then add the potatoes in an even layer, season with a big sprinkle of salt, and cook, stirring at 1 minute increments to allow the potatoes to make uninterrupted contact with the pan, until most of the potatoes are browned in spots, about 10 minutes (open the windows or a fan as it might a little smoky).
Once the potatoes have browned, add the lemon juice, steeped saffron water, and another 1/2 cup hot water to the pan. Add the black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt to the potatoes, stirring to combine. (The potatoes won’t be fully submerged and that’s okay.) Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes more. If the pan looks too dry at any point, then add another tablespoon of warm water at a time.
Remove from the stove and top with the parsley; serve out of the pan, or make sure to scrape every last bit of juice on the bottom of the pan if transferring to a serving bowl. (You can eat the peppercorns, if you like or skip them.)

Tags:

American
Persian
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Winter
Fall
Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Romilly Moore
Smaug
Betty
BE

Recipe by: yasminfahr

yasminfahr.co

Yasmin is a recipe developer and cookbook author. Her first book, Keeping it Simple, is full of easy, weeknight one-pot recipes. Say hi to her online @yasminfahr!

Popular on Food52

9 Reviews

Betty August 19, 2021

Contrary to another review, I found these could use more lemon and less saffron. Also, I think the process is backwards. I might try again, but I would braise first, then crisp them. I had some left over and sautéed them in a Non stick pan, much better.

Romilly M. January 25, 2021

Made these last night. Agree with comment below once crisped then simmered they weren’t crispy and needed to cook them a bit longer than 20 min simmering. Felt something was missing , maybe a bit of crushed garlic but they were still tasted and nice to have an alternative .

Smaug November 22, 2020

Well, anything for science; I decided to give this a shot in an open cast iron skillet. After browning for 10min+- at which point they should have been fairly well along the way to fried- I set them asimmer. After a bit more than 40 minutes, they were still distinctly al dente, but edible and dinner was getting cold. The texture was ok if you like al dente potatoes- I prefer a bit softer, and after being essentially boiled for 40 minutes they certainly couldn't be described as crisp. The flavor was fine- I used Meyer lemon juice, but I don't think I'd have found regular lemon juice excessive (I'm from lemon territory, we generally like a lot of lemon)- of course, if you like the cooking method you could flavor them pretty much any way you like. Even with a pretty conservative take on what constitutes a tsp. of saffron threads, this is an expensive plate of potatoes.
I really can't see any upside to cooking in an open pan; a covered pan will cook them much faster (about 20 min.) and more evenly. If you do it with just oil or butter and salt they will steam in their own moisture and no browning step will be needed; you can add flavored liquid and cook it down quickly after they're done. If you use liquid (it only takes a Tb. or two) they will come out softer; you'll need to brown them first; any excess liquid can be quickly cooked off at the end

BE November 21, 2020

For those wondering in prior comments if the overall method works (uncovered cooking with the specified amount of liquid per the instructions in the recipe): potatoes were perfectly cooked following the instructions in the recipe. I will be using this method for potatoes in the future. However, the lemon flavor was absolutely overwhelming. They were borderline inedible. I would dramatically reduce the amount of acid next time. I would also suggest adding a tablespoon of butter to the liquid to add some balance and smoothness.

Helen November 20, 2020

I made these as instructed. The potatoes cooked nicely. There was not too much liquid. It was almost all gone when the potatoes were done. My husband liked it better than I did. Either I don't like saffron that much or 1 t. was too much. I won't be making this again.

Smaug November 18, 2020

I may try this, though it would come out a bit pricey; the world could use a reasonable way to measure things like saffron and parsley, although the quantities are scarcely critical. More critical is whether the pan is to be covered; that's an awful lot of liquid ( in a pan with a good cover the potatoes will cook just fine with no added liquid)- it looks like it could come out pretty soupy; that could easily be dealt with, but how much liquid is intended to remain?

JV November 19, 2020

It doesn’t say to cover so I assume it’s not covered.

You can see in the picture there’s not meant to be a lot of liquid left... seems it’s mostly evaporated and absorbed.

Smaug November 19, 2020

Probably so, but I'd have my doubts about the potatoes getting done that way and she does refer to "braising" them.

JV November 20, 2020

True. Anyways the title seems misleading... I doubt they’d be “crispy” after simmering them.

It does still look delicious... will probably try them