Perfectly Boiled Potatoes: Sweet & Chewy (Kim Jin-ok’s Recipe)
Enjoy the season’s best! Learn how to boil potatoes to a deliciously sweet and chewy perfection. Detailed instructions for boiling and steaming potatoes by Kim Jin-ok.
Hello everyone, this is Kim Jin-ok. I’ve recently caught a bad cold, and it’s been a tough time with persistent coughing and a changed voice. As I get older, recovering from colds seems to take longer. Please take care of yourselves and stay healthy! Recently, Kim Mi-ae, a regular visitor to my YouTube channel, sent me a box of fresh potatoes from her acquaintance who farms in Gangwon Province. Along with the potatoes, she requested a guide on ‘how to boil potatoes.’ So, today, I’m sharing my accumulated culinary wisdom to help you enjoy these fresh potatoes at their absolute best!
Ingredients- 10 small-sized fresh potatoes
- 2/3 Tbsp coarse salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 10 small fresh potatoes. It’s best to boil them with the skin on to retain nutrients and natural flavor. However, if you prefer, you can peel them before boiling for easier eating. After washing the potatoes thoroughly, make a shallow cut around the circumference of each potato, like scoring a line all the way around. This scoring helps the seasoning penetrate evenly and makes peeling much easier later on. If there are any potato sprouts, remove them as they can impart a bitter taste.
Step 2
Place the prepared potatoes into a wide pot, such as a stew pot. Add about 2/3 tablespoon of coarse salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pour in water until the potatoes are about halfway submerged. If you have a preference for sweeter potatoes, you can increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons. Alternatively, you can use 1/4 tablespoon of artificial sweetener (like ‘New Sugar’) instead of sugar for a similar level of sweetness.
Step 3
Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. If your potatoes are on the larger side, you may need to increase the cooking time slightly beyond 30 minutes. Halfway through the 30-minute cooking time, gently flip the potatoes to ensure they are evenly seasoned and cooked on all sides. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the lid and, if there’s any remaining moisture, turn the heat back up to high for a moment to evaporate any excess water. This step helps to enhance the chewy texture and sweetness of the potatoes, making them even more delicious. **Tip:** If the water level drops significantly during the 30 minutes of cooking, you can add a little warm water to replenish it.
