Whatever happened to peeling potatoes?
Back in olden days, restaurants used to do that…and I appreciated it because my digestive tract really doesn't like potato skins. It likes potatoes but not the skins. When you got an order of french fries, they had but the faintest traces of skin on them. Someone had actually peeled them before slicing and frying. Then all of a sudden, it started becoming fashionable to leave a little skin on fries…and now many restaurants don't peel at all. Even Five Guys, where the fries are terrific, doesn't peel their spuds…which I guess is a good thing because otherwise, I'd devour an entire order. As it is, I just eat the ones with little or no skin. An order of french fries at Five Guys is large enough that you can do that and still get more than enough fries.
Skins on fries is bad enough but a few years ago, the disease began to infest mashed potatoes. Suddenly, mine were coming with little pieces of skin in them — usually red but sometimes other colors. I don't know about you but I don't want pieces of skin in my mashed potatoes any more than I want dung beetles in there. One of the great things about good mashed potatoes is the comforting, fluffy texture. Even lumps of potato spoil the effect.
The change seemed especially tragic at a chain of restaurants I used to often patronize called The Daily Grill. They had perfect mashed potatoes…the best I'd ever had anywhere. For some reason, their Head Chef decided to tamper with perfection. Well, actually I think I know the reason…
The first time I found hunks of potato jacket in my mashers, I complained politely to the manager. I didn't seek him out. He ambled by the table and inquired, as restaurant managers often do, "Is everything to your liking?" I thought, Well, he asked, and said, "No, the mashed potatoes are not to my liking," adding that the skinless ones were superb.
He apologized but said, "We found that many people prefer the mashed potatoes that way." Still being polite, I did not call him a liar. I merely asked, "Has even one customer said to you, 'Oh, thank you for leaving the skin on your potatoes when you mash them. They're so much better that way!'?"
He thought for a second and then muttered, "Well, not in those words. But you know, there are a lot of vitamins in the potato skins…"
"If people are interested in getting vitamins out of their potatoes, they don't order them fried or mashed," I said…and then I asked, "Is it possible you're just trying to save time and money by not having anyone peel the potatoes?"
"I didn't say that," he said.
"I don't hear you denying it," I said.
He chuckled, put up his hands in a gesture of surrender and said, "You've got me." It wasn't the kind of confession Perry Mason used to get but I accepted it as such. Not peeling the taters is cheaper and easier, and that's why I think restaurants are doing it. I don't think most folks prefer it. I think just not enough of them object or, like I did with the Daily Grill, cut back on their patronage.
But let's take a survey and find out if people — or at least, people who read this blog — really prefer it. This poll will be open for one week…and please note. Other blogs may ask you to vote on the soul and safety of the United States or the future of the environment or the true meaning of life. On this site, we get down to the important stuff…
