Subject: Potato Ricer
Newsgroup: rec.food.cooking
From: heathera at frontiernet.net (Heather Allen)
Date: Sat, 24 Aug 1996 05:33:56 -0400
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So after seeing all that discussion earlier this month about the potato ricer, I went out and bought one! You were all right, it's fantastic. They came out perfect. So perfect that my dinner guest said "how did you make these potatoes?" and after showing her the ricer we went to the mall and she bought one :)
But now I have a question.. do you think this would work with potatoes that were never made to be mashed? like salt potatoes or red potatoes? I know they make lousy mashed potatoes normally.. anyone tried it? They do have really good flavor. I know it has to be able to be done somehow because I went to a restaurant once and had "smashed potatoes" and it was mashed red potatoes with garlic according to the description in the menu, only when I tried to duplicate it, the result was rather sticky. yuck.
From: rd39462 at ix.netcom.com (Robb)
Date: 28 Aug 1996 07:19:14 GMT
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Yes, the ricer will work with almost any type of potato, but it will *not* work with unpeeled potatoes! With any potato that has a "waxy" texture such as red potatoes, it's important not to overmix them, so as to avoid creating the sticky or "gluey" texture. If you rice them, add butter and milk together and gently stir. You definitely cannot create "smashed" potatoes with a ricer.
From: p008383b at pbfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Edward Conroy)
Date: 28 Aug 1996 11:51:25 GMT
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rd39462 wrote:
: . . . the ricer will *not* work with unpeeled potatoes!
Hogwash! It was probably a problem with your ricer or your technique.
I have used my ricer to rice Burbanks, Idahos (and similar "baking-type" potatoes, as well as "Yukon Gold" potatoes without first peeling them. I never had a problem. The potato skins were left behind in the ricer container. I have done this both in my home kitchen and in the several hotel and country club kitchens in which I have worked.