The Best Way To Cook Potatoes, According To Yotam Ottolenghi
Americans eat around 274 pounds of meat annually, and the U.S. is in the second spot for the "highest meat consumption in the world," while Hong Kong takes the first spot as of 2017, reports Sentient Media. Those are some worrying news, especially when we know that eating lots of meat will also increase our risk of strokes, diabetes, and heart disease (per Harvard Health Publishing). On the other hand, eating a diet filled with fruits and vegetables lowers the risk for those same ailments. Luckily, there are many plant-based and vegetarian dishes to choose from, and since most of them are delicious, we might not even need to eat meat that much. For more inspiration, check out a list of vegetable recipes that are delicious, even if you don't like veggies.
One of the most famous vegetable aficionados is Yotam Ottolenghi, a chef and cookbook author who never fails to show his love for vegetables and tasty Middle-Eastern cooking (via The Happy Foodie). Although Ottolenghi is not a vegetarian, he's well-known for his vegetarian dishes, which have been celebrated in his cookbooks, such as "Plenty" and "Plenty More" (per Vancouver Sun). Ottolenghi shared, "I eat meat and fish happily." However, he loves vegetables much more since he considers them "more exciting." And now, he shares his tips for cooking one of the most popular vegetables, the beloved potatoes.
Yotam Ottolenghi likes his potatoes au gratin — thinly sliced and baked in the oven
Yotam Ottolenghi is no stranger to potatoes, those tasty and versatile tubers can be made into a wide array of dishes. In fact, Perishable News reports that Americans consume a whopping 111 pounds of potatoes annually. Ottolenghi's made many potato dishes, and he shared some recipes for us all to enjoy, such as chaat masala potatoes enriched with yogurt and tamarind, which can be found on his website, and a rustic potato and spinach pie that the chef shared over on Delicious.
The Guardian's readers asked Ottolenghi and his colleague, Noor Murad, some pretty interesting questions about cooking. Verity from London asked the experts the best way to cook potatoes, and Ottolenghi said that for him, it's potato au gratin because it's "satisfying" and "doesn't need to be sophisticated." The technique known as "au gratin" is made by thinly slicing potatoes and baking them, usually in some kind of sauce (via The Kitchn). Once the gratin starts bubbling and becomes crisp, it's done.
And here's one more tip from Ottolenghi — feel free to reheat your gratin the next day since the flavors will be even better. The chef's colleague, Murad, likes gratins, but she's also a fan of boiled potatoes because they can be made into mashed potatoes or added to curries. And regardless of the cooking method you choose, we have no doubt that the results will be equally tasty.