# What's your favorite way to eat potatoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200 "2011-06-28T23:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/21 "2011-06-29T04:01:00Z")
Hash browns. Mmm, hash browns. Preferably from an el cheapo all-night diner, e.g. Waffle House. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/22 "2011-06-29T04:28:44Z")
Take your basic potato. Brush it with olive oil. (Yes, use an actual brush.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake it. Split down the middle. Sprinkle additional salt and pepper as needed. Delicious. A damn near Platonic perfect food. (and anyone who microwaves to “bake” a “baked” potato is a philistine. You need the browning and crisping reactions in the potato skin to give the full potato taste profile. Not sure if it’s a proper [Maillard reaction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction), but you sure don’t get it with a microwave, which simply makes a potato hot mush.) ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/23 "2011-06-29T04:42:03Z")
Roasted. Take red potatoes, cut them into to halves or quarters, douse them with paprika, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and roast the hell out of them. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/24 "2011-06-29T06:10:18Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > Roasted. Take red potatoes, cut them into to halves or quarters, douse them with paprika, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and roast the hell out of them. Yum. I came in to say exactly this. Except the paprika - we’ll have to try that next time. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/25 "2011-06-29T06:14:47Z")
Nuke 4 potatoes and set aside. In a pan fry several onions & a variety of mild and hot peppers. Perhaps bacon if I’m feeling it. Cut up potatoes, add to the pan with hot sauce & Old Bay seasoning. Stir & serve. Crap, now I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/26 "2011-06-29T06:28:42Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I came in to say exactly this. Except the paprika - we’ll have to try that next time. I add a little balsamic vinegar, but otherwise similar. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/27 "2011-06-29T06:54:35Z")
Fried, goddammitt. How the hell else? It’s not the most economical way to cook them, but if it’s done right (and don’t bother with all that horse fat and 2x frying – there are ways to get them just fine using simple household appliances and minimal attention). (I do like horse, though – the meat, but never had the fat to play with). Ideal food, with enough salt. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/28 "2011-06-29T06:56:21Z")
Roasted, sort of. I peel and cut into chunks a variety of vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. I coat with chicken stock and roast the medley. This is flavorful and practically fat free. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/29 "2011-06-29T07:07:57Z")
The OP left out the top three: Hash browns Potato salad Latkes ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/30 "2011-06-29T07:19:08Z")
Mashed is the best, because even I can make good ones. Fries can be better, but I am more likely to get a bad variety. And Potato Pancakes are always divine, but I not only can’t make them but don’t know where to buy them. Potato salad is good, but the potatoes there are more of a filler than an ingredient added for taste. And of course I love hash browns and tater tots, but they have the same problems as fries (hash browns being slighlty less of a problem.) ---
**Author:** ![VanillaGorilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/31 "2011-06-29T07:40:09Z")
I voted _other_ for [Hasselback potatoes](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/hasselback-potatoes/detail.aspx) , recipe in the link. The cheese is all wrong though, there should be no cheese on Hasselback potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/32 "2011-06-29T12:02:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I like all those. I guess baked edged out the others, but that may be because I eat french fried all the time. If I ate less fries, I’d miss the other more. > > Also, I consider potato wedges a seperate category, and chips, potato pancakes, and hash browns (along with their poor cousins home and cottage fries) should be on the list. Oh yeah, and now the spicy Deannies type potatos I make, and potato kugel, my friends recipe called flat fries (1/4 inch thick slices of potatos fried in a pan). That’s just potatos pretty straight up, you’ve also got the potatos in hash, and stews, and the potatoes I add to Indian dishes, so curried potatos would be another one on the list. Also potato pancakes have various forms like latkes made from grated potatos and Swedish potato pancakes made from mashed potatos. Then theres all the forms of stuffed potatos, potato skins, and in soup form vichysoisse (or however that’s spelled) to ham and potato soup, and good red chowder which should be loaded with big chunks of potatos, Don’t forget potato sticks, I love to munch on those sticks. Plus there are different types of potatoes, those giant Idahos, new potatoes, red potatoes, blue potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes (the best for chips). Then there’s potato salad too. I’m partial to good hot German potato salad, but I like the cold form if seasoned properly, and egg and potato salad is one my favorites. Then you get into old fashioned fish and chips with the fish wrapped in thin potato slices before battering and frying, and egg and potato sandwiches are great to. Even those bizzare manufactured products like tater tots and rings and other shapes can turn out well. I haven’t even started on roasted and steamed potatos and the different seasonings that can be added. And potato dumplings, pierogies, and gnocchi can’t be disregarded either. > > Maybe I should have clicked on ‘other’. What’s your position on shrimp? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/33 "2011-06-29T12:03:46Z")
Roasted - specifically, parboiled, drained, shaken in the pan (to roughen the outsides) with goose or duck fat, then roasted until crisp. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/34 "2011-06-29T13:53:50Z")
I voted for baked- skin rubbed with olive oil & salted, loaded with butter, shredded cheese & bacon… mmmm. But in all honesty, I love potatoes in just about any form. Mashed is good ol’ comfort food. Chunked, boiled, drained, a dollop of butter, dump in some parsley-nummy. French fries & tater tots? yes, please. Au gratin, scalloped… mmm hmmm. Hash browns, roasted, fried potatoes, potato salad? Love 'em all. I don’t think I have ever met a potato I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/35 "2011-06-29T14:08:53Z")
Pommes Landaise Duck fat for the frying potatoes cut in quarter inch dice onions cut in quarter inch dice prosciutto cut in quarter inch dice freshly cracked black pepper to taste dash of truffle oil optional/shavings of black truffle optional as is obvious, saute everything together, garnish with a dash of truffle oil or shaved black truffle and cracked black pepper to taste. waaaaaaay too rich for me normally, I make it once or twice a year. It goes really fantastically with sweet/sour red cabbage and apples, and obviously roasted duck. I normally will not bother to buy the very expensive duck breast, the whole duck is cheaper and leftover roast duck is great for making other dishes with. You should try duck salad sandwiches - pulled duck, diced apple, diced celery, diced shallots, mayonnaise, dash of stoneground mustard, some black pepper, dash of salt on homemade sourdough bread. [homemade mayo not storebought] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/36 "2011-06-29T14:19:37Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > What’s your position on shrimp? Bubba did have a fine idea. I picked mashed, but the OP left out the gravy. My roasted recipe: Cut some potatoes, skins on, into bite size chunks. Add fresh rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves, skins on. Toss with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer at 450 for 45 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/37 "2011-06-29T14:38:04Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/38 "2011-06-29T14:44:26Z")
For pure comfort food, there is nothing like mashed with gravy or scalloped with ham. We usually roast ours with olive oil and rosemary, though. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/39 "2011-06-29T15:18:28Z")
I would have to say “chips” (specifically, Herr’s Natural Kettle Chips), but sticking more to the intent of the OP, I would like to put in a vote for boiled potatoes, dressed with chopped onions sauteed in butter. That’s the kind of potatoes my grandmother (born in Poland) made. Whenever I make them, the smell takes me back to Christmas dinners at her farmhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200/40 "2011-06-29T15:21:34Z")
If we had a multiple choice and a ranking method I would have voted French Fried (my actual vote in the poll) Baked Mashed Other – Hash Browns – Medallions – Potato Pancakes Boiled (but treated as if Baked) Can’t say I’ve tried: Roasted Au Gratin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-way-to-eat-potatoes/587200.md?page=3)