Pommes de Terre à l'Anglaise

English Boiled Potatoes



SERVES 6

In France, anything that is simply boiled is said to be à l'anglaise, English-style. Unlike their English counterparts, however, French chefs typically "turn" their vegetables (cut them into barrel shapes) before boiling them to ensure even cooking.

18 small waxy potatoes (red or white)
Salt
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped parsley

The chef about turned vegetables.

Turn the potatoes (see technique photograph): fill a bowl with cold water. Use a pating knife to cut the potatoes into chunks about 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) long and 4 cm (1.5 inches) thick. Cut off both ends of the chunks and then pare down the sides, shapine or "turning" them into small barrel shapes with 7 faces. To prevent discoloration, hold the finished turned potatoes in the bowl of cold water while you are working.

Drain the potatoes and put them into a saucepan with cold salted water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender when pierced with the point of a knife. Leave the potatoes to stand in the cooking liquid to keep warm until serving time.

Drain the potatoes. Serve in a vegetable dish sprinkled with the parsley.







copyright (c) 1991 Le Cordon Blue