Potato

About

Potatoes have a naturally sweet, slightly bitter flavor; strong bitterness paired with green-tinged skin indicates the potato is no longer good to eat. Good potatoes combine buttery, creamy, nutty, and earthy notes, and baking can give the skin of older potatoes a malty, cocoa-like character. Cooks typically categorize potatoes by texture, waxy, floury, or firm, since this determines the best cooking method more than flavor does; waxy varieties tend to have more concentrated flavor, while floury varieties are often milder. Research has linked higher levels of umami-forming compounds in certain potato varieties, particularly those derived from the "phureja" strain such as Mayan Gold, to more intense flavor. Potato's natural sweetness pairs especially well with salty foods like fish, hard cheese, caviar, and salted butter.

Pairs well with potato

• CiLemonDespite skepticism about the combination, lemon and potato appear together in many cuisines: Greek dishes often include potatoes in…
• SuEggSimple combinations include fries dipped in runny yolk or a fried egg on potato purée.
• FrTomatoFries and ketchup is one of the most popular pairings in Western food; the term "French-fried potatoes" appeared in the mid-1800s, shortly…
• SuGarlicSkordalia is a Greek dip made by beating pounded raw garlic into mashed potato with olive oil and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice,…
• EaMushroomA good wild mushroom soup benefits from mixing several types of fungi to build layered flavor, the way a bouillabaisse uses several fish.
• MeBeefOld potatoes stored in the dark between about 44 and 50°F develop floral, fruity and fatty notes through slow enzyme activity; if stored…
• BeMintMint appears with potato in various dishes, including Roman-style ravioli, popular Indian potato snacks, and a potato soup by Irish chef…
• MaShellfishThis pairing underpins whole regional cuisines: New England chowder, Belgian moules frites, Venetian potato gnocchi with spider-crab sauce.
• MePorkA classic salty, earthy pairing seen in sausages and mash, frankfurters with potato salad, and Tuscan roast pork with potatoes.
• MeChickenChicken and potatoes cooked together is a classic combination, whether as roast chicken with roast potatoes, Portuguese-style chicken and…
• BrBaconHam hock and potato are combined in hash, a simple fried dish of shredded or diced cured pork and potato.
• GrChiliPaprika's sharp, smoky quality pairs well with potato, as in Germany's popular paprika potato chips or homemade chili fries, potato strips…
• ChHard CheeseCheese transforms potato across a number of classic dishes: French aligot, in which mashed potato is beaten with Laguiole cheese, garlic,…
• MeLambLamb's fattiness soaks into potato particularly well, seen in shepherd's pie, spiced Indian gosht aloo, and Lancashire hotpot, layers of…
• EaCuminCumin and potato share a musty, earthy quality that might sound gloomy together, but works beautifully in the Indian dish jeera aloo:…
• SuOnionPotato and onion, though humble everyday staples, combine to great effect in many classic dishes: baked in milk, sautéed together, mashed…
• MaOily FishIn the UK, fries pair with almost any fish except salmon and trout, though declining wild stocks may change what's typically sold in…
• SpPeppercornBlack pepper potato chips arrived in the UK relatively recently, after flavors like Worcestershire sauce and shrimp cocktail.
• GrParsleySmall floury boiled potatoes, simmered until soft and traditionally finished with just a scattering of chopped parsley, remain a staple in…
• SuCauliflowerCauliflower becomes more sulfurous the more it is cut or processed, an effect that can be softened with cream or potato.
• FrPlumHungarian szilvás gombóc, German Zwetschgenknödel and Polish knedle ze śliwkami are all versions of potato-dough dumplings wrapped around…
• EaChickpeaPanelle and cazzilli are Sicilian fried street snacks, panelle a set, sliced and fried chickpea batter, cazzilli a thin potato croquette,…
• EaLentilDosa, a fermented lentil-and-rice batter pancake, has a tangy flavor that lentils take well to; potato masala is its most common filling.
• BrAnchovyJansson's temptation, a Swedish potato gratin, layers sliced onion and anchovy fillets with potato matchsticks, cream, and a breadcrumb…
• RoPeanutPeanut's meaty character pairs naturally with potato, seen in Colombian empanadas de pipián (fried potato and peanut pastries served with…
• GrBuckwheatA hearty pairing found across cuisines: Ukrainian Yavorivsky pie wraps bread dough around mashed potato, toasted buckwheat and fried…
• GrCilantroCilantro's earthy flavor complements potato well, restoring some of the earthiness lost in boiling or mashing.
• GrKaleKale and potato combine into a satisfying soup on their own.
• BrOlivePotatoes and olives can be stewed together in olive oil with tomatoes, onion and garlic as an accompaniment for fish, or chopped olives…
• EaRyeThe nutty, malty flavor of dark rye recalls the skin of a baked potato.