YUNNANESE GRANDMA'S POTATOES

SOURCE: GEORGIA FREEDMAN. COOKING SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM CHINA'S YUNNAN PROVINCE.

Elderlies who need dentures to get by with their oral digestion can enjoy the pleasures of not wearing their false teeth to masticate this Yunnanese comfort food with effortless thoroughness, therefore ascribing a grandmotherly endearment. Unlike the Eurocentric and Americanized mashed potatoes accomplished by puréeing starchy spuds with the smoothing aid of butter or cream, however, the key to softness and elasticity of these Oriental potatoes scientifically lies in using the waxiest cultivars available. Owing to the molecular abundance of branched amylopectin networks, waxy tubers can hold their shape under heat, physical stress, or a combination thereof, and accordingly, attain the desirable result from the Chinese culinary technique of stir-frying.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds/680 grams small waxy red-skinned potatoes such as Desiree, unpeeled

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon/75 mL vegetable oil

6 dried red chili peppers, preferably bird’s eye chili, finely chopped

1/3 cup/70 grams pickled mustard greens, preferably homemade OR store-bought Sichuan preserved pickled mustard greens

3/4 cup/40 grams scallions OR chives

Salt to taste

Specific Equipment

Large wok big enough to fit under a large bamboo steamer

Large bamboo steamer

Knife, preferably a Chinese cleaver

Wok shovel

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Bring the water in a wok to a boil over high heat. Place the potatoes inside a bamboo steamer and cover. Place the bamboo steamer over the wok and reduce the heat to medium. Steam the potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife or toothpick.

2. Remove the steamer from the wok and discard the water from the wok and let dry. Cool the potatoes to room temperature.

3. Peel off the skin of the potatoes with hands and smash the potatoes with the flat surface of a knife. Set the potatoes aside.

4. Pour 1/4 cup/60 mL oil into the wok and set over high heat until the oil is smoking. Stir in the red chili peppers and fry for 5 seconds or until the chili peppers have slightly darkened. Stir in the pickled mustard greens and fry for 30 seconds or until the oil has coated the mustard greens. Stir in the potatoes and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, continuously tossing and breaking the potatoes into smaller pieces with a wok shovel, or until well blended. spreading the potatoes along the side and bottom of the wok.

5. Stir in the potatoes and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, continuously tossing and breaking the potatoes into smaller pieces with a wok shovel, or until well blended. Spreading the potato mixture along the side and bottom of the wok and stir in the scallions or chives. Fry the potato mixture for 30 seconds or until the potatoes have browned slightly.

6. Pour in 1 tablespoon/15 mL oil into the potatoes and season with salt according to taste. Continue stirring for another 30 seconds or until the mixture is well-blended.

7. Remove wok from heat and transfer the potatoes to a serving plate.