In the
rabbit hole
a monthly column
by A.C.E. Bauer
November 2006
The lowly potato
by A.C.E. Bauer
I have always been a
meat-and-potatoes kind of person. I like steak rare, stews in
satisfying chunks, and potatoes served any way you can cook
them.
When I came to the USA, I made a
painful discovery: although french fries (or chips, if you are
from a different part of the world) are ubiquitous, good ones
are hard to find. They all seem to be made from reconstituted
potatoes. There are exceptions, of course, but in my travels
here, the few good french fries I have eaten stand out.1
This is a far cry from Quebec.
Casse-croûtes,
the journeyman fast-food stands that line local highways, also
serve enormous quantities of french fries, but it is the rare
casse-croûte
that has truly bad ones. Why? Because the potatoes they use
are not reconstituted. The best stands take whole washed
potatoes and cut them fresh. This is not as onerous as it
sounds. They use a clever press, usually bolted into the wall,
where you place the potato in a cradle, pull down the lever, and
out come freshly cut fries. Others use frozen pre-cut fries,
but very few stands use reconstituted potatoes.
And french fries come in so many
flavors! The quintessential Quebec dish is poutine: french
fries with fresh cheese curds and gravy. Variations dot the
menu—Poutine Italienne (with tomato sauce), BBQ (with barbecue
sauce), with sausages or chili con carne, with chicken and peas
(sometimes omitting the cheese), or if you’re going upscale,
Poutine Bourguignonne. Unlike good fries, a good poutine is
harder to find—it depends on the quality not only of the
potatoes, but of the cheese and sauce.
Quebec’s love affair with
poutine is one of the contributing factors to its high rate of
heart disease, compared to other provinces. But such
health concerns are trivial when faced with a well-made
poutine. Some people become instant converts—extolling the
virtues of a tasty sauce over heavenly fries, and just the right
amount of partially melted cheese curds. I am not one of
those. I will grudgingly try a fry covered in sauce, nod in
approval when the gravy exudes umami or the cheese tastes
particularly fresh, but to me, they mask what truly matters: a
well fried potato.
I have often told people that I
wouldn’t mind living off potatoes—and studies have shown that I
literally could, if I were so inclined. One of nature’s whole
foods, they have every
nutrient you need. A chef
will also tell you that they are incredibly versatile—you can
make appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, even
desserts from potatoes. And if you’re looking for a drink,
well, there is always vodka. But truthfully, I find a good
plain potato, cooked right, to be more satisfying than almost
any other dish.
Of course, a life with nothing
but potatoes would be rather boring. You do need a little
color, to balance out the plate. That is why God, in his
infinite wisdom, invented steak.
1. Sadly, good mashed potatoes
are equally rare in U.S. diners—for
the same awful reason. There must be a special place in
Hell for whoever invented reconstituted potatoes.
A.C.E.’s Favorite
Mashed Potatoes
1 kg (2 lbs) Yukon Gold
potatoes (or any other potato you like)
500 g (1 lb.) onions,
chopped fine (sweet onions, such as Vidalias, are best, but your
regular yellow onion will work)
4 tablespoons canola
oil, or other oil without much flavor
Salt and pepper, to
taste
Peel, then boil the potatoes in salt water. While they
boil, sauté the onions in the oil until they get brown and have
a few charred bits. Once the potatoes are tender, drain
them. With a potato masher, mash potatoes with onions and
oil, but don't over-mash—some pieces of unmashed potato add to
the texture and flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Will
make a side-dish for 4.
