Canarian wrinkly potatoes
Encyclopedia
Canarian wrinkly potatoes is a traditional baked potato dish eaten in Canary Islands
. They are usually served with a pepper sauce, called Mojo
, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
The dish is made from small new potatoes which are cleaned (but not peeled), then boiled in water (originally in seawater
, but it is more usual that salt
is added to the water in the boiling process) and then baked in their skins until they become shrivel
led. Alternatively, in some recipes, after cooking in salted water most of the water is discarded and the small amount that remains is boiled away until the potatoes become dry. This leaves them with a characteristic dry salt crust on their skins.
The potatoes have to be the smallest the cook can find; if not, the potatoes will miss their supposed flavor and they will not absorb all the sauce.
They are considered one of the most unusual dishes in all Spanish cuisine
, and a very exotic dish, especially for tourists or even Spaniards who aren't born in the Canary Islands. They also are considered the "main dish" or the "star dish" of the Canary Islands cuisine.
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. They are usually served with a pepper sauce, called Mojo
Mojo (sauce)
Mojo is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauces, varying in spiciness, that originated in the Canary Islands. It is predominantly either a red , green or orange sauce....
, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
The dish is made from small new potatoes which are cleaned (but not peeled), then boiled in water (originally in seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, but it is more usual that salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
is added to the water in the boiling process) and then baked in their skins until they become shrivel
Shrivel
Shrivelling is a natural phenomenon where an object, with an attached sub-elastic covering, has its interior volume reduced in some way. The covering, which cannot contract any further, is then obliged to wrinkle and buckle, in order to preserve surface area while containing the lesser volume.For...
led. Alternatively, in some recipes, after cooking in salted water most of the water is discarded and the small amount that remains is boiled away until the potatoes become dry. This leaves them with a characteristic dry salt crust on their skins.
The potatoes have to be the smallest the cook can find; if not, the potatoes will miss their supposed flavor and they will not absorb all the sauce.
They are considered one of the most unusual dishes in all Spanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots...
, and a very exotic dish, especially for tourists or even Spaniards who aren't born in the Canary Islands. They also are considered the "main dish" or the "star dish" of the Canary Islands cuisine.
See also
- Salt potatoesSalt potatoesSalt potatoes are a regional dish of Syracuse, New York, typically served in the summer when the young potatoes are first harvested. They are a staple food at fairs and barbecues...
- List of Spanish dishes