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How to Boil Potatoes – Oma’s Salzkartoffeln

Here's how to boil potatoes, one of the most traditional of all German side dishes known as Salzkartoffeln which translates as "salt potato." Peeled and quartered, potatoes are cooked in salted water. 

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• Use one medium potato per person.
• salt 

Instructions:

1. Use one medium potato per person.
2. Wash well, remove sprouts and blemishes, and then peel. Use a potato peeler or small paring knife.
3. Immediately put peeled potatoes into a bowl of water to prevent discoloring.
4. When ready to cook, cut into quarters and place into the pot. Cover with water.
5. Add salt, about 1 teaspoon per quart.
6. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and continue boiling gently until tender, approx. 20 minutes. Test by poking the potato with a sharp paring knife. If it slides easily all the way to the center, the potatoes are done.
7. Drain by holding the lid on the pot with potholders and lifting the lid a bit from the edge, and pour the water off. You can also gently pour into a large colander to drain water.
8. Return the drained potatoes in the pot over the heat to steam dry the potatoes. This only takes a minute or two, gently shaking the pot, so the potatoes don't stick. 
9. Serve immediately.

Notes/Hints:

• The best potatoes to use are Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes. 
• Save cooking water to use in soups or gravies. You can also add it when baking bread.
• To make the drained potatoes more 'mealy', put a folded towel over pot (remove the lid first) for 5 minutes. Shake pot gently. Remove the towel which will have absorbed excess steam.
• If you really need to keep them hot for a little while, after draining the potatoes, but a folded terrycloth towel over the pot. Put the lid on over the towel and let the pot sit in a warm area. This should keep the potatoes hot and dry for about 15 - 20 minutes.

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10.24.2024 revision update