Experimenting with Starch: Potatoes

 

Starchy Potatoes

First and foremost, I sliced up my russet potatoes
then I rinsed the spears to remove excess starch on the outside
for a more even, effective browning. 

I did not have cayenne, which the posted recipe called for,
so I infused my olive oil with diced rosemary, and an assortment of spices I did have,
including some garlic, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt. 

I steamed the potato spears next. The heat and moisture enabled the starch to gel,
swelling and softening as it bonded to water, as explained in the lecture on polysaccharides. The resultant texture was sticky to the touch and crumbled apart easily due to the softness, the spears were nearly translucent in some places.

After steaming the potatoes and covering them in the herbed and spiced oil,
I put them in the oven to brown. For the last few minutes, I also melted parmesan cheese on top of the potatoes. The browning turned out very well, if I had used a less starchy, waxy potato, I don't think it would have been as effective.

The final product was soft on the inside with a crisp and taut skin. The rosemary had a strong flavor, and the skin provided a slightly bitter, earthy taste. In the future, I would add more spice as the mild inside of the potato was most distinguishable, pleasant but not very flavorful.