How many potatoes are eaten in the Netherlands. One of the favorite preparation methods:baked potato. With this 5-step plan you can make the perfect baked potatoes!
The Netherlands is a real potato country, and we eat potatoes in many different ways. Of course with an AVG, in a potato salad and with asparagus. Moreover, due to the temporary closure of the catering industry, there is a large potato surplus, so by eating potatoes you also prevent food waste!
Baked potatoes are a favorite of many, especially when they are crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. But how do you make them so crispy? We share 5 steps with which burnt or half-cooked potatoes are a thing of the past. With these tips you can bake the perfect traditional Dutch potatoes!
Read also: 'Recipe:potato rosie with Greek yogurt herb dip'
Do you boil your potatoes before baking or do you use raw potatoes? There is no right or wrong answer to this question, because it can be both. But for perfectly baked potatoes you have to pre-cook them first. During cooking, starch is released that will become nice and crispy during baking! Cut the potatoes into cubes, slices or wedges. Place a pan with water on the stove or boil water in the kettle and pour it into the pan. Wait for the water to boil, add a pinch of salt, put the potatoes in the pan and cook, depending on the size, for 5-10 minutes. From time to time, poke the potatoes with a fork to test if they're done:if your fork goes in easily, they're done. Drain the potatoes and let them steam with the lid on the pan.
The perfectly baked potatoes are of course nice and crispy. For this, the potatoes must have enough room to move while shaking. So choose a large frying pan and wait until the pan is hot. Continue to step 3!
You may think that you bake potatoes best in oil, but believe us, a whole new world opens up for you once you make the switch to margarine. The margarine makes the potatoes golden brown and they become crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Just the way you want your baked potatoes!
Oil is less suitable because you are not allowed to heat it to a high temperature – and of course you want that when you are going to bake. The same goes for butter, which can burn at high temperatures. Margarine consists of various vegetable oils and you can heat it to a high temperature, while it does not splash and ensures a beautiful golden brown color. Time for action:melt a block of margarine in the pan, add the pre-cooked potatoes and read the next step.
In this step, while you are cutting the vegetables yourself, you call in your assistant cooks. Ask your kids to occasionally stir the pan with a wooden spatula. Shake the pan once or twice so that the potatoes dance in the pan, as it were. This is not only essential to fry the potatoes golden brown on all sides, but also has a high entertainment value!
As with many things, perfection takes time. A common mistake made by every home cook is removing the baked potatoes from the pan too quickly, so that the insides are not cooked. Patience is a virtue and so is the art of baking potatoes. After a long working day, you want to have the food on the table as soon as possible to feed the hungry mouths. So that you can then recover from your busy day in peace. Hang in there and be patient, after 5-10 minutes the potatoes are perfect and ready to be served!
