The Best Ways To Use Masquerade Potatoes, According To Alex Guarnaschelli

Masquerade potatoes are bicolor potatoes, generally purple and white, and outwardly they look a little different from traditional potatoes. If you've never seen these potatoes before, don't worry — you're not alone. Masquerade potatoes are fairly new to the food world; they first began popping up at farmer's markets and specialty grocers in 2010 with farms in California leading the way. However, these beauties were actually birthed at Colorado State University's San Luis Research Center where researchers cross bred two different types of potatoes and hit pay dirt with these spotty and colorful tubers. They are said to be creamy and buttery in taste and texture when prepared, and they are full of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants (via Specialty Produce). 

Masquerade potatoes sound pretty yummy to us, but as with anything new to the culinary scene, there's a discovery curve for learning how to use and incorporate an ingredient like this into your recipes and favorite dishes. Enter Alex Guarnaschelli. This celebrity chef, who's a familiar face on one of our favorite reality food competition shows, Chopped, never steers us wrong. She recently took to Instagram to share her guidance and suggestions for preparing masquerade potatoes.  

Guarnaschelli kicked off her Instagram post by playfully acknowledging that her followers might not be familiar with this new potato. "Who are we??" she asked. "We are 'masquerade' potatoes from @luckydogorganic @unsqgreenmarket and our skins are naturally pink and brown at the same time." But then Guarnaschelli went on to explain the versatility of this masquerade potato. "Our skin is also thin and we make delicious dishes from steamed potatoes for a weeknight dinner to a German potato salad for a picnic. Boil and slice us up and put us with a dressing on a tuna salad! Poach us in a little olive oil and serve us up with some steamed fish or sautéed chicken breasts. Yum." Yum indeed!

Specialty Produce suggests using your masquerade potatoes in soups, or fry them and add to your favorite hash brown recipe. They're also perfect for baking and roasting, and allow you to show off their color if you leave the skin intact. How long will masquerade potatoes last in your pantry? For fresh produce, these potatoes have a long shelf life. Store them in a cool, dry place and you can enjoy them for a couple of weeks.