Topic · Professional Vegetable Cuts
English Boiled Potatoes with Chopped Parsley
English Boiled Potatoes with Chopped Parsley
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. It means, to cut them into seven-sided barrel shapes before boiling them to ensure even cooking. Not the most exciting recipe of the French repertoire, but the effort is in “turning” the potatoes not in cooking them.
- 6 small waxy potatoes (red or white), (same size)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Turn the potatoes: Fill a bowl with cold water. Use a paring 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, shaping or “turning” them into small barrel shapes with 7 faces. To prevent discoloration, hold the finished and turned potatoes in the bowl of cold water while you are working.
Cook the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and place them in a saucepan covered with cold salted water. 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.
Finish the potatoes: Drain the English turned potatoes. Serve in a vegetable dish sprinkled with the parsley and the melted butter
