Types: Which potatoes for bigos dinner party

Subject: Which potatoes for bigos dinner party
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: nikole at n2bowling.com
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 20:23:04 -0500
--------
We'll be having a a two sitting gathering in January, 4;30 & 7 pm, 20 people at each sitting. My sister is working out the menu. Main dish will be a delicious Bigos -- sauerkraut with all kinds of meat (prunes too I think). We chose that dish because it will be easy to make ahead and keep. The best potatoes to have would be boiled potatoes but those will be hard to manage and still have a good time -- hot potatoes, twice in a day? Other choice is a potato salad with olive oil dressing although that wont absorb juices from the Bigos as well as the plain potatoes. . Does anybody have another suggestion? We want to do this meal so that we can spend a lot of the evening with the guests.

Nikole
From: arianej at pepper.eajenkins.earthlink.net (Ariane)
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 01:11:30 GMT
--------
Would mashed potatoes be too weird of an idea? :) I've only had Bigos in an International food fair here in town, but I loved it...would you post the recipe??
From: nikole at n2bowling.com
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 20:44:40 -0500
--------
Ariane wrote:
>Would mashed potatoes be too weird of an idea? :) I've only
>had Bigos in an International food fair here in town, but I loved
>it...would you post the recipe??

Ariane -- mashed potatoes would be perfect, so nice with juices, but again -- how do you keep mashed potatoes for 40+ people warm? Yes, in the past we've really gone all out -- I should say my sister who is the master of all in the kitchen goes all out. I promise to post the recipe as soon as she sends it to me.
From: arianej at pepper.eajenkins.earthlink.net (Ariane)
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 01:32:11 GMT
--------
Nikole wrote:
>Ariane -- mashed potatoes would be perfect, so nice with
>juices, but again -- how do you keep mashed potatoes for 40+ people
>warm? Yes, in the past we've really gone all out -- I should say my
>sister who is the master of all in the kitchen goes all out. I promise
>to post the recipe as soon as she sends it to me.

Thanks. :) It sounds delicious...

As for the mashed potatoes, I seem to recall people discussing that on here before, you might try a Google archive search. I swear I remember someone saying they put the mashed potatoes into a buttered crockpot and kept it on low...? I take it you'll need this as an all-day thing, where people drop by and serve themselves.
From: ladyvmh2000 at aol.com (Vickie)
Date: 15 Dec 2001 23:17:59 GMT
--------
Damsel has a recipe for Mashed Potatoes with Proscuitto and Parmesan that is wonderful. It is even better the second day. You coul make it the day before and just heat up half for each sitting. You could do a Google search for them. If you want, holler and I will send the recipe to you.
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 20:21:08 GMT
--------
Nikole wrote:
>We'll be having a a two sitting gathering in January, 4;30 & 7 pm, 20
>people at each sitting.

I think that boiled potatoes would be ideal with such a rich, complex main course. It seems easy enough to manage - have your 2nd batch cleaned/peeled and sitting in cold water, and the pot of water simmering on the stove. 30 minutes or whatever before you need them, put them in the boiling water and set your timer. It would not take more than a minyute to drain them and toss with butter, etc.
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 21:24:15 -0700
--------
Nikole wrote:
> and keep. The best potatoes to have would be boiled potatoes but those
> will be hard to manage and still have a good time -- hot potatoes,
> twice in a day?

Why would hot potatoes twice be difficult? However, an easy solution is to boil the full complement of potatoes, use half for the first meal and fry the rest for the second sitting.