This isn’t just a Western convenience. In Spain, they boil whole potatoes for patatas bravas with the skin on, then crisp them up in oil. In India, baby potatoes are boiled in their jackets before being tossed in spicy masala. And let’s not forget the iconic British “jacket potato”—a baked potato, but the same keep-the-skin-on philosophy applies.
Even Martha Stewart has been known to boil her potatoes unpeeled for mashed potatoes, adding them to a ricer skin and all. Trust Martha. She’s never steered us wrong on matters of starch.
