Ahhh, potatoes! Let me count the ways.
Today’s potato is the upmarket Yukon Gold.
The history of these potatoes is interesting. Yukon Gold potatoes have only been available commercially since 1980. Developed at Canada’s University of Guelph by legendary potato breeder Gary Johnson, the distinctive yellow-fleshed Yukon Gold potato was the product of 14 years of work and experiments with 66 potato crosses.
The Yukon Gold wasn’t Johnson’s only contribution to the world of potatoes, though. Over the course of his long career, Johnson developed 16 potato varieties. ( Sixteen potato varieties!!! Move over Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. Any man who develops 16 potato varieties has a sure place in the heart of this potato-loving Irish girl!)
Johnson’s Yukon Gold potato is a cross between a wild (yellow) Peruvian potato and a domestic (North Dakota) variety of potato. Food writers often describe the potato as looking like it is drenched in butter. Food images don’t get a lot better than that!
Once the Yukon Gold potato was introduced commercially, it became a culinary rock star. The potato got its big break when it was featured by food writers like Mark Bittman in the New York Times. Bittman’s piece was titled “Yukon Gold Standard.”
Soon, Queen Elizabeth II was being served Yukon Golds on Buckingham Palace china. Wolfgang Puck was serving an elegant Yukon Gold potato appetizer at an Oscar’s Ball–yellow-fleshed Yukons topped with Caspian caviar, no less! And, Barack Obama’s celebrated White House Chef, Cristeta Pasia Comerford, was featuring Yukon Gold potatoes at a state dinner honoring Canada’s hunky Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Her dish? “Yukon Gold Potato Dauphinoise Drizzled With Yukon Jack Canadian Whiskey.” Wow. Wow. Wow.
The Yukon Gold potato celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2020. We have Gary Johnson to thank for elevating a potato from its lowly status as a sustenance food to that of a delicacy.
Now, if I can just find that Yukon Gold Potato Dauphinoise recipe, or, at least, a bottle of Yukon Jack Canadian Whiskey…
In the meantime, here is a wonderful Yukon Gold-Cheddar Soup recipe.
Potato-Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 2 celery stalks (diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/2 t. chili powder (or to your taste) plus more to garnish
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 2 C. grated Cheddar (plus more for garnish)
- 1 C. half-and-half
- Garnish: Minced cilantro, thinly-sliced scallions, chives or parsley, small slices of serrano chile, chile powder, and grated Cheddar
Directions
- Step 1 Use a large soup pot. Melt butter over medium heat. Combine onion, celery and a large pinch of salt with the melted butter and sauté until vegetables are soft and slightly golden. This will take about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and chili power and continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant. This will take about 1 minute.
- Step 2 Add Yukon Gold potatoes, vegetable broth and 2 t. salt. Bring the broth to a simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
- Step 3 Remove soup from heat and let it cool a bit. Put the soup into a blender and puree in batches. Return the pureed soup to the soup pot. Add more broth or water to the soup to thin it to the consistency you want.
- Step 4 Put the soup back on the stove at medium heat and stir in the Cheddar and the half-and-half. Stir the soup, half-and-half and cheese until the cheese is totally melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Step 5 Serve garnished with minced cilantro, minced chives, thinly-sliced green onions, or minced parsley. Garnish with slices of serrano chiles, a sprinkle of ground chili powder, and grated Cheddar.
The original recipe from which this soup recipe was adapted appeared in the New York Times.
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