the few varieties of potato

Jersey Royals are one of the few varieties of potato that have got most of the cards stacked in their favor. Most importantly, they taste how our memory thinks potatoes ought to taste. They have a distinctive, earthy flavor and the dense but not overly waxy flesh means this variety doesn't disintegrate when boiled. The availability of Jersey Royals is limited to the summer season. Initially they are fiendishly expensive and it's only towards the end of the summer when they are far larger and somehow less appealing that their price drops to somewhere near the national average.
 
 So just how can you get the most flavors out of boiled potatoes? Potatoes are rich in nutrients and nutrients mean flavor. Nutrients, though, dissolve in water and this is why what little flavor there may be in your boiled potatoes can be saved by following a few little tips. Don't soak the potatoes; instead, scrub them under running water. Don't peel them baking recipes because most of the potato's nutrients are just under the skin. If the potatoes are new and relatively fresh the skin is quite edible. If the skin is old peel it away while holding the hot potato in a dishcloth.
 
 Merely cover the potatoes with water, add a generous pinch of salt, bring the water to the boil and then simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Remember that the more potatoes there are in the pot the longer the cooking will take. I always partially cover potatoes but this is personal preference; it doesn't seem to affect either flavor or length of cooking. New potatoes should be put into boiling water, old potatoes brought to the boil in the water. Old, warty potatoes, should you have no other, must be peeled and soaked in cold water for an hour, then put into boiling water and boiled fast for 30 minutes. They are then drained, and the best thing to do with them is to mash them.