Potatoes boiled, baked, pan-fried and roasted

Boiled: drop little potatoes whole, skins on, into just enough water to submerge them, cover and bring back to a boil.

Test with a fork after 10 minutes; cook a few minutes more, until the skins just start to split and peel. Do not undercook.

Drain, let any water steam off in the hot pan, dress with olive oil or melted butter, plenty of salt, pepper and fresh parsley.

Baked: use floury baking potatoes. Optionally stab them; oil and salt the skins.

Bake at 400F / 200C directly on the oven rack (or on a sheet pan) for about an hour, until squishy inside.

Let cool a bit, open, and season the flesh with salt.

Trim big blemishes and any green under the skin; peeling is only needed for floury potatoes served boiled or mashed.

Raw pan-fry (shown as a failure): cube potato into a lot of hot oil, stirring constantly; after 5 minutes colour is good but the insides are hard, and 5 more on low heat leaves them burnt outside and dense inside.

Parboil first: boil the cut pieces, salting the water if wished, until just barely fork tender.

Drain thoroughly and let them steam dry so no water spits in the hot oil.

Sauteed potatoes: stir the parboiled pieces in very hot fat until brown and crisp; drain, season while hot, add a little parsley.

Roasted: toss parboiled pieces in oil and seasonings, roughing up the surfaces; roast, stirring halfway only once they release from the pan, about 15 minutes total for small pieces.