I'm of Irish descent and I am completely in love with potatoes. As much or more than cheese!
For this recipe (pierogi), we're going to essentially be making mashed potatoes and adding blue cheese and bacon. Then wrapping in a light pasta dough. Then boiling. and then sautéing in butter. Oooops, sorry. Got distracted with day-dreaming... back to the research.
I have lots of options for this item. I checked our store and we have Russet and yellow/gold (like Yukon Gold) and red-skin and sweet and purple and fingerling and... You get the point.
I've found 2 articles that I particularly like for understanding the taste and texture of various potatoes:
Generally, potatoes fall into one of 3 groups:
- Starchy: Russet, sweet potatoes, yams
- Waxy: fingerlings
- In-between (all purpose): Red-gold, purple, red, Yukon gold
Starchy potatoes are great for baking and frying. Because of their starch, they don't hold together very well when cooked, but they are are fluffy and absorbent, perfect for butter on a baked potato or the oil in a fryer. They are decent mashed, but care must be taken not to over work them, else you'll have a gluey mess.
Waxy potatoes have a smoother, more waxy texture so they hold their shape while cooking. They work well in dishes like soups, stews, potato salad and scalloped potatoes where you would need to boil, slice, or roast.
All-purpose potatoes have a less starch than starchy potatoes, but not so much that they completely fall apart when cooked. They will work for most potato dishes.
Most pierogi recipes seem to start with Russets. I'm going to opt for an all-purpose (Yukon gold) because I much prefer the buttery texture. I don't want to have to add a lot of liquid (like milk) or butter to the mashed potato mixture - there will be plenty of richness with the bacon and blue cheese!
Up tomorrow: bacon, Bacon, BACON!!
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