How to properly cut potatoes into slices?

If suddenly there is no bread at home, it’s not scary, it’s much worse if there are no potatoes - a lifesaver under any circumstances.

The sudden arrival of guests will not take you by surprise; we will tell you how to cut potatoes into slices to prepare a fragrant treat “country-style potatoes”. This, at first glance, simple task, as it turns out, has its own nuances and secrets, on which the final result depends, and most importantly, the taste of the resulting dish.

As the heroine of one Soviet film said, “Do you think potatoes are so simple, boiled and eaten? It wasn’t like that!” Indeed, all kinds of dishes are prepared from potatoes: they are fried, boiled, mashed, pies, pancakes, casseroles, stewed, various first and main courses and even desserts are prepared. And to prepare all this, you need to know how to properly prepare and cut the main ingredient.

In addition, not every potato variety is suitable for every dish. The most valuable are the easily boiled varieties, but for salads it is better to take non-crumbly potatoes. And do not mix different varieties of potatoes during cooking, as their cooking time may differ.

Preliminary preparation

Before cutting potatoes, the tubers need to be washed well. If you are going to peel the potatoes later, you can simply wash the skin with your hands so that the damage and eyes are clearly visible. But to prepare tubers in their skins (boiling in their uniforms, baking in a country style), they are washed especially carefully: rubbed with a brush under running water.

Even slightly damaged tubers are not suitable for boiling in their skins. If there are rhizoctonia black specks on the potato (they look like tiny lumps of dirt), they must be removed with a brush. There should be perfectly clean tubers of the correct shape, without damage. If such potatoes are boiled or stewed in the country style, they can be eaten with the peel: after brushing, the skin becomes thin, like tissue paper.

Potatoes that will be cooked without skins are cleaned after washing, eyes and damaged areas are cut out, and then they must be dipped in cold water so that the flesh does not darken. You should first cut all the peeled potatoes, then transfer them to a container for cooking. If you cut one potato at a time and transfer it to a hot frying pan or saucepan with boiling water, the pieces will cook unevenly.

Types of potato cuts

Not every cut is suitable for every dish. Let's try to figure it out and sort it out in what form and what dish to use our potatoes.

There are simple and figured cuts of potatoes.

Simple cutting:

straw - used for deep frying;
cubes - used for preparing cold appetizers, for deep-frying, for preparing soups, pickles;
cubes - used for preparing stews and soups, potatoes in milk, boiled, used in salads and vinaigrettes;
circles - used for deep frying, as well as for preparing meat and fish casseroles;
slices - this cut is used for preparing stews, for deep-frying, and as a side dish for beef cooked in the oven.

Video about slicing potatoes in a country style

Figured cutting:

kegs;
garlic;
pears;
balloons;
shavings;
spiral.

This type of potato cutting is most often used for preparing everyday side dishes, side dishes for banquet dishes, deep frying, and for preparing cold appetizers. Moreover, it can cut both raw and boiled potatoes into shapes.

In our master class we will tell you in more detail and show in the photo how to properly and quickly cut potatoes into slices.

Country-style potatoes fried in a frying pan

And now, it’s time to pour the aromatic tomato lecho and enjoy the taste of new potatoes...

If you liked the simplicity of the recipe, I would be glad to receive a response to the social buttons. networks, and your comments...

Also, I wanted to ask...

There are different potatoes, different varieties, different sizes. And even the color - white, yellow, red. And each has its own taste qualities and behaves differently in different dishes. So, sometimes one variety takes a long time to cook and does not become soft. And sometimes you cook potatoes, and they become boiled and crumble. And another variety, on the contrary, behaves well in combination with other vegetables. For example, when we prepare soups - cabbage soup, borscht, etc. And I wanted to ask you... What varieties of potatoes do you prefer?

For example, in the photo below there are country potatoes. And no, it’s not because we brought it from the village... This is exactly the variety. And you can appreciate how he prepared. Initially, it was boiled and then fried in a frying pan. And he didn’t fall apart...

Previously, you never thought about what type of potato it was. The harvest season just comes, and on the way to the dacha - to drip the potatoes, and whether they grow large or small - it depends on your luck. From year to year, the harvest is always different, both in quantity and taste. And now, you come to the market and look - there are at least 5 varieties. And you think... How perfect is she?))

In order not to be mistaken, this time we took two species - Adretta, Derevenskaya. And also, Aelita was, if I’m not mistaken... In general, my eyes widen.

It seems like there’s no need to go into too much depth here, but still, it’s interesting to hear your opinion. After all, you can be trusted... Thanks in advance!

Rustic, skinless potatoes, baked until crispy in the oven - step-by-step recipe

What ingredients are needed for 4 servings:

potatoes - 8-10 small tubers, approximately equal in size;
vegetable (sunflower, olive) oil – 1-2 tbsp. l.;
ground turmeric, mixture of peppers - 0.5 tsp each;
mixture of Provencal or Mediterranean herbs - 1-2 tsp.

How to make a dish - step-by-step instructions with photos:

This is a universal recipe, because you can bake both old and young potatoes without skins. Wash and peel the tubers. Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into 3 more parts, also lengthwise - you will get neat cubes. Place the chopped potatoes in a regular transparent plastic bag.
Add salt and spices - turmeric, herbes de Provence, pepper (or others - at your discretion). You can also use ready-made potato seasoning.
Go well with potatoes: basil, rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic, marjoram, oregano, dry adjika (for those who like it spicy), mustard, Caucasian herbs.
The quantity and ratio of spices can be changed to taste. Also add a little oil.
Tie the bag and shake it well so that the oil with salt and spices is evenly distributed over the potato slices.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the potatoes in a single layer. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees, put the potatoes there. Approximate cooking time is 30-40 minutes on the Convection mode.

When the potatoes are soft inside and golden brown on the outside, the dish is ready. It can be served as a side dish with meat, fish, and vegetables.

Methods for “grinding” whole tubers

To make whole potatoes seem the same and look more beautiful in the finished dish, they are given different, sometimes intricate, shapes.

Barrels

To make a keg:

The top and bottom of the potato are cut off.
The sides of the tuber are “ground down”, forming a barrel (Fig. 11).

The barrels are stewed whole or the middle is removed, stuffed and baked. Barrel-shaped tubers are stable and can be placed compactly in a baking dish.

Garlic

To make garlic, the barrel is cut into slices. A little pulp is trimmed off the sharp edge of each slice (Fig. 12).

Fig. 12. Garlic

"Accordions"

Deep transverse cuts are made on the tubers at a distance of 3–4 mm from each other (Fig. 13). Pieces of lard or cheese are inserted into the slits and baked.

Fig. 13. Baked potato accordion

"Pears"

The tuber is “ground”, giving it the shape of a pear. Such potatoes are usually baked (Fig. 14).

Rice. 14. Potato “pears”

"Lapti"

Medium tubers are washed and cleaned. A transverse cut is made on the tuber. Using a knife and spoon, a “bast shoe” is formed (Fig. 15). Shallow transverse and longitudinal cuts are made on the “toe”. The bast shoes are stuffed, greased with butter and baked in the oven.

Rice. 15. Potato “bast shoes”

"Mushrooms"

A circular transverse incision is made on the tuber washed with a brush. One half of the potato is left in the peel (this is the “hat”), the second is trimmed, forming a “leg” (Fig. 16). The “mushrooms” are brushed with butter and spices and baked.

Rice. 16. Potato “mushrooms”

Country-style potatoes “Special”

A very unusual recipe for country-style potatoes, it can be called more troublesome, but believe me, it’s worth it!

You will need:
650 g of potatoes, 1.5 packages of processed cheese, 300 ml of fresh milk, 3 cloves of garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper mixture.
Preparation:

The potatoes must be peeled and cut into circles, 0.5 cm thick. Add salt and spices to the potatoes, mix and place in a deep baking dish. Pass the garlic through a press, mix with a glass of milk and pour over the potatoes. Sprinkle grated processed cheese on top. Bake in the oven until done.

Which potatoes to choose

This is one of the most crucial moments! If you want a truly delicious dish, carefully evaluate the following factors.

Starchiness

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal assures Heston Blumenthal's 10 tricks to the perfect roast potato that the most delicious country-style potatoes come from the dry, starchy varieties—those that boil easily. As a rule, such root vegetables have a light brown skin and almost white flesh. Starchiness will allow you to achieve the most impressive contrast between the crispy crust and the literally melt-in-your-mouth center of the finished dish.

But distinctly yellowish, moist, dense, waxy potatoes should be set aside for some other recipes.

Form

Small round potatoes are not your option. It is difficult to cut them in such a way as to get as many flat edges as possible. But the crispy fried edges in country-style potatoes are the key, perhaps the most delicious moment!

It is better to choose elongated potatoes about the size of a medium avocado. It can easily be cut into eight pieces, each of which will have three extensive flat edges.

Recipe for “country” potatoes in the oven with spicy garlic and hard cheese, with photo

To prepare you will need:

potatoes – 1.2 kg;
coriander, paprika, thyme and other aromatic herbs to taste;
salt – 0.5-0.75 tsp;
butter – 50-70 g;
vegetable oil – 30 ml;
garlic – 2 medium-sized cloves;
hard cheese – 70-100 g.

Cooking method in stages:

Choose the smoothest and most undamaged potatoes and wash the skins thoroughly. Cut each tuber into 6-8 fairly thin, even slices.
Place the chopped potatoes in a bowl, add salt, favorite seasonings, and vegetable oil. Mix well with your hands so that the spices are evenly distributed throughout the potatoes.
Place in a heat-resistant form (on a baking sheet) strictly in one layer, otherwise the slices will not bake quickly. Bake for 20-30 minutes at a temperature of about 200 degrees (depending on the features and type of oven).
Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove, mix with finely chopped garlic. Remove the potatoes from the oven and pour the aromatic garlic-butter mixture over them. Finely grate the cheese and sprinkle it on the dish. It is better to use firm, mature varieties such as Parmesan, Grana Padano, etc. Return the pan with the potatoes to the oven for another 10-15 minutes to form a crust and the inside of the potato wedges to reach perfect condition.

Serve immediately after cooking, before the cheese hardens.

Baked potato wedges in skins - a simple recipe

This is one of the easiest ways to prepare a delicious appetizer or side dish.

Prepare:

large potatoes – 3 pcs;
salt, black pepper, spices - to taste;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp.

The potatoes need to be washed very well, you can rub them with a brush if necessary. Cut into small slices.

Place in a bowl, add salt and pepper. For spices, I only used dry garlic. We also add vegetable oil.

Mix everything well.

If necessary, grease a baking sheet with a thin layer of sunflower oil and lay out the potato wedges.

In my oven the dish was cooked for about 40 minutes at 220 degrees.

As you can see, preparing the dish according to this recipe is very simple, but it turns out incredibly tasty.

How to cut potatoes into wedges

Kitchen essentials
Number of servings: 10 (calorie content per 100 g 77 kcal)

Storage time: cook immediately, without storing

Cooking time: 10

Dmitry Vasharin Articles by the author

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Country-style potatoes in a spicy marinade

A marinade of honey, soy sauce, mustard and garlic gives the potatoes a special piquancy. When baked, the crust becomes glossy, as if covered with glaze. The dish emits a unique aroma and is so self-sufficient that it does not require additions in the form of sauces. If you do use sauce, let it have a delicate creamy taste.

Ingredients:

1 kg of potatoes.
2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.
2 tbsp. l. soy sauce.
1 tbsp. l. honey.
3 tbsp. l. mustard.
5 cloves of garlic.
A mixture of dried herbs: marjoram, basil, oregano, etc.
Salt to taste.

Cooking process:

Wash the potatoes, peel the skins and boil until half cooked. Pay attention to the variety of root crop. If the potatoes boil quickly, they should be cooked for no more than 10 minutes. Boil harder varieties for about 20 minutes. Young potatoes do not require pre-boiling at all, nor do they require peeling.
Cool the potatoes, if they have been boiled, and cut them into slices.
Prepare the marinade. Mix soy sauce, herbs, mustard and honey, crush the garlic. Decide for yourself whether to use mustard, but you can’t do without the other components of the marinade. Be careful with salt, try to avoid it altogether, since soy sauce itself is salty.
Immerse potatoes in marinade and stir. Let the potato wedges marinate a little.
Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in the oven at 200 degrees. Baking time – 30 minutes.

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Cutting potatoes into strips (straws)

Straws are the form of potato cutting that most modern housewives prefer. The fact is that the vegetable cut into strips after frying in oil is very reminiscent both in appearance and in taste of French fries, beloved by many. So, first you also need to peel the root vegetable and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.

The root vegetable should then be laid out on the cutting board on its side, after which a slice of 1 centimeter thick should be cut off. Identical strips should be formed from the cut slice, the width of which should correspond to the thickness of the slice.

Immediately before frying the chopped vegetable, it should be thoroughly washed again to get rid of excess starch.

It is recommended to fry potatoes cut into strips in a frying pan with a large amount of sunflower oil. This approach will ensure deep frying. For these purposes, you can also use a deep fryer, filling it with sunflower oil.