Topic: PFA - Rumblings Of Discontent

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

i've grown Pink Fir Apple for the first time. Yield has been very high and they're disease and pest free, and they taste great, but but but
there have been Rumblings in the household that they're a bit too solid.
I've tried boiling, roasting, deluxe chipping, steaming and pressure-cookering

I know that (more potato molecules) + (less water) = great taste, but even i've got to admit they're a bit indigestible

any ideas?

[Old bird]

I generally use them as new potatoes and salad potatoes all year round!

Mine unfortunately were completely useless - guzzled by slugs/whatever underground.  They are, I think, lovely potatoes though!  They store through to march/april generally!  Sorry your folk don't seem keen - I certainly will only grow fir apple and a first early!

Old Bird
 ;D

[Hyacinth]

I'm sorry too, RT. :'(

It was Tim writing about them here which first alerted me to them.( :-*) and although pre-chitting was...er....difficult?.....I was thrilled with the eventual result. Whatta Star! I remember (but for me it was a bonus) that they 'held together' well and so they were perfect for my style of cooking...put on the tats to cook, answer the phone, etc.etc. - and they made the most beautiful potato salad. I think if I could only grow one variety, this would be it. Just can't imagine why yours have hardened like rocks, tho, and have become uncookable...???

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I'll work out something for them. I've got 2 1/2 rows left to experiment. Maybe i'll just have to get like the PFA and develop a thicker skin.  :D It's just that when I present nature's bounty on the dinner table, i'm used to getting unconditional praise as befits my hunter gatherer status  ;D

[Barnowl]

How do you roast them?

I cut them lengthways, do a very short parboil - 2 to 3 minutes - then let them steam off,  but once dry (and still warm) put them into hot oil - usually sunflower and whatever else I have to hand (but not olive oil or fat: too low temperature), in a pre- heated  roasting pan on the hob then transfer to the preheated oven . 

[Hyacinth]

I didn't think that they were a 'roaster' as such?.....there again, a lodger I once had cooked THE most fab roast pots with all manner of new pots.....never quite knew how she did it :-\

But, a an excellent boiled tat, for whatever, and so tasty too.....the King for me.

Still don't know what RT's prob is/was....you cooked as per Owl's method?

[Tulipa]

Barnowl,

I have been cooking Lady Christl the same way as you and they have been beautiful, has stopped my family saying "Oh no, more new potatoes....", they love them.

T.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

if anything Barnowl, i've parboiled them longer than you suggest. I'll experiment properly tonight. It may be the new cooker we've just had fitted.

tulipa my family also say - Oh no, more new potatoes.....but not in a good way  ;D

[Barnowl]

How about potatoes gratin dauphinoise.  I know they say use floury potatoes but I find pfa,  charlotte etc do just as well.

I do it by ear as it were, but here's a recipe that looks as if it would work:

http://www.cuisine-france.com/recipes/gratin_dauphinois.htm

I actually do layers of onion  as well so it's sort of a cross between au gratin and gratin dauphinoise

A less rich recipe would use layers of onion and potatoes just covered in vegetable or chicken stock

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

bookmarked that Barnowl, but perhaps i'll just try boiled potatoes before I try anything complicated  ;D

another trouble with PFA is that naturally you use the normal looking ones first, and then you're left with all the knobbly ones to deal with all at once

[Barnowl]

Although a major PFA fan I have to concede  that nobbliness is quire a pain - unless you like them boiled which we do  :)

[lottie lou]

if your family like curries I found that they are great in saag alloo (spinach and potato curry) as the PFA hold their shape and don't go mushy.  Dead simple, just use your usual curry sauce recipe, pop the spuds in and cook slowly making sure that the sauce does not dry out, when curried spuds are done, mix in a load of chopped spinach.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

roasties turned out very nice,. thanks. Just needed a bit more care in preparation

thanks lottie lou- i'll do that with chard. Not growing spinach this year

[cornykev]

Roasties are great, chips are better, glad u enjoyed the last batch RT.   ;D ;D ;D

[Vortex]

Par boiling before roasting helps, but I think they're great boiled. The other half does complain about the nobblyness though so I only grow a few now.

[tim]

Too solid? Just the reason that one grows them? They stay that way into March.

And knobs? What's the problem? Cook them knobs & all. Then, if you must, peel them.

They are truly versatile. and the ultimate, as said, for long cooking.

Dare I remind you?? See below.

PS Vortex - just knock the knobs off?? Each thingy is a potato.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

really the PFA have exceeded my expectations. I didn't grow maincrop, because of the blight, because of the space they take up, and because (usually) potatoes are cheap to buy in the summer/autumn. So I grew the gourmet ones, and they are really good, yield especially was pleasing. The trouble is for boiled potatoes I usually steam them, and for roast potatoes I usually do them mediterranean style with olive oil and no parboil, and PFA don't seem to like that.
They just need more thought and respect.
Mind you, difficult to respect something when most of the tubers resemble Mickey Mouse

[grawrc]

They do just about anything a potato can do from salad to roast and they don't need peeling. My problem was that I quickly realised I loathed the taste so stopped growing them. Profoundly disappointed as they produce loads of textures and are extremely versatile,I just don't like 'em but I recognise that I am in a small minority.

[Bean_Queen]

Pink Fir Apple is a late maincrop (so don't bother chitting it), and it's a salad potato, so don't bother trying to mash or roast it.
Grow Rooster for roasting !

[antipodes]

Just to "chip" in (ha ha) a reply - I was quite disappointed with my spuds yield this year - taste was good as was quality but just not enough spuds per plant. I don't think you can get PFA is France???
How do I get more spuds?

And also the Gratin Dauphinois recipe posted earlier on sounds yummy but very rich! I have a simpler one:

Peel and thinly slice about 1kg of potatoes (personally I like firm ones in gratin) and lie then in a baking dish that you have rubbed with gralic and buttered. Halfway through, add a little grated cheese, I use Swiss but maybe cheddar would be OK. Add more grated cheese to the top.
Boil 250ml of milk, season and add 3/4 of it to the potatoes. Cook them at 180 for 50 minutes, stir them with two forks halfway through cooking time, try not to squash them too much.
After 50 minutes, bump up the oven heat a bit, beat an egg with the remaining milk, pour it over the potatoes and top with more grated cheese and some knobs of butter. Back in the oven for about 7 minutes, just till the sauce takes and the cheese is browning.

That makes a nice one that is not too sickly. You can even use skim milk if you like.