Making Latkes tonight? Check out this potato peeling method:
I had to share these two potato peeling demonstration videos that demonstrate the same quick method for peeling potatoes.
The first one is in Chinese (I think). Japanese. (Thanks, Jaffer!) It is delivered with so much energy that I felt for my wallet. There's nothing for sale, just a cool idea:
http://www.5min.com/Video/Quick-way-to-peel-a-potato-6766
From what I can tell, she scored the skin, parboiled (maybe: see below) the potato, submersed it in an ice bath, and squeezed the skin off.
Here's another video that shows the same method, with a lot less enthusiasm and detail, but in English: http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-peel-a-potato-skin-3841
Maybe we'll have latkes tonight instead of donuts!
Update #1: (see comments by Mother-in-Israel) - The jury's still out on this one, because we're not sure if the potatoes are really parboiled, or cooked through. I guess we'll have wait for verification of this technique from empirical research before recommending it.
If any of you understand Chinese Japanese. , or know of this technique, please clue us in!
Update #2: Thanks to Jaffer's Japanese-speaking brother, it looks like parboiling gets another vote!
5 comments, so far. Add yours now!
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Dear Carolyn,
I just discovered your blog through a posting on Facebook (a friend was impressed by your shul model for your children, as was I).
I find your blog so inspirational and wanted to thank you for the time and effort you are making to share and to teach, as well as putting everything online for others to learn from your model. You clearly are a woman of valor.
Hag orim sameach,
Maya Norton
The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy
www.TheNewJew.wordpress.com
As far as I can tell, the potatoes are fully cooked before peeling. In the first video, they mashed the potato immediately after peeling it. A waste of ice cubes in my opinion, and no good for latkes. My method is to cook them and let them cool off before peeling. Or serve them with the peel.
Maya,
Wow. Thank you so much. I'm glad you found this blog, and hope you'll be a regular reader.
I'm printing your words for the next time I need an ego boost. Thank you.
Mother in Israel,
I was wondering about that. I guessed that the potatoes were par-boiled, because they peeled them shortly thereafter with bare hands.
If they boiled them completely, 10 seconds of an ice bath wouldn't keep their hands from burning, right?
I might just have to submit this technique to experimental verification before endorsing it!
(Has anyone out there tried it?)
Actually it's Japanese. My brother, who is an avid animé fan confirms this because "kori-mizu" means "ice-water" in Japanese.
Judging one of the comments to the video, this process is definitely "Blanching"
But I'd rather let the potatoes cool off or better yet, use a potato peeler !
I actually leave the skin on - it gives a small boost for fiber content, and helps the latkes look a wee more rustic.
I just wash them, add in some turnips, parsnips, and flax seeds, put it all through the food processor, and voila!
But the video sure is informative...
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