Preparing a great-tasting potato is easy once you get the right dry matter, storage and variety.
This was the message delivered by MBM Produce staff members at the Potato Lovers Challenge lunch held last week at London’s Lanesborough hotel and prepared by in-house chef Paul Gaylor.
MBM invited food writers and chefs from the foodservice industry to blind sample different varieties of potato prepared in mashed, roasted and baked form.
The tasters, which included renowned French chef Pierre Koffman, presented a unanimous result.
For the mashed category, The MBM-branded Potato Lovers Mashing pack of Melody was a clear winner, producing a rich, aromatic and creamy yellow mash.
Maris Piper was given second place for a smooth but rather bland effort, while Nadine, with its high water content, produced a disappointing gluey substance, the tasters found.
In the roast section, the Potato Lovers Maris Piper produced a perfect light gold crispy shell with a fluffy inside.
The second option was also Maris Piper but having been kept too cold, its starch turned to sugar and it produced a dark brown soggy roast potato. The final sample was a poorly-stored Nadine which was over-browned and sour.
Finally, Yukon Gold shone in the baked category, producing a good texture and a rich aroma. Nadine tasted musty, while Maris Piper was unevenly cooked with hard lumps.
MBM food innovation manager Claire Harrison said the challenge demonstrated that old favourites like Maris Piper were not always suitable for all purposes.
“A Maris Piper will not roast properly if not stored correctly and they will not be the best option at all times of the year,” she said.
The Potato Lovers has already been launched in the food-service arena and MBM is planning to roll out it out across the retail sector in September.
The idea behind concept is to remove the hassle of decision-making from both chefs and consumers by shifting the focus of potatoes from variety to purpose, said MBM marketing manager Julia Gilbert.
Potatoes will be marketed in packs for Roasting, Mashing, Baking and Chipping, with MBM selecting the most suitable varieties for each as availabile throughout the year.
Gilbert said: “The chefs we have worked with have been really receptive to it and I think consumers will be too. Supermarkets have done a lot of damage by selling potatoes as all-purpose because no single potato can do every job.”
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