Yukon Gold Potatoes are crap . . . for most uses.
Why does every recipe you read, in magazines or recent cookbooks, specify Yukon Gold potatoes - even in recipe where they are totally inappropriate. I'm seeing more and more recipes that call for "potato A" or "potato B", or Yukon Gold. A and B are fine for the recipe and Yukon Golds will ruin it.
My inescapable conclusion is that the Yukon Gold Potato industry has followed the lead of the Canola Oil industry. They've paid off the publishers to refuse to publish any book or recipe that calls for potatoes unless it calls for Yukon Gold.
There are three classes of "professionals" that are notoriously easy to buy: Politicians, Scientists, and Publishers - don't trust any of them (some Scientists are an exception, but be careful).
Yukon Gold potatoes have an odd flavor, but they are loved by the fancy chef set for one reason - when cooked just right, they can be sliced, diced or otherwise cut to shapes without crumbling. This is very important when your high price depends mostly on presentation.
For any recipe that calls for longer cooking - notoriously stews and many soups. Yukon Golds turn to mush if cooked a little longer than the minimum - and they don't taste like the right potatoes either.
Any recipe I read, I just automatically replace "Canola Oil" with "Pure Olive Oil" (not virgin) and "Yukon Gold Potatoes" with "White Rose" or "Red Potatoes" depending on which is appropriate. Russets are a different matter. Recipes where Russets are right can't possibly work with Yukon Golds.
Background: The Yukon Gold potato was developed to perform well in climates too cold for most varieties. When the chef set picked up on them for their specific needs, well, I think the growers realized that, with a little money in the right places, they could leverage that.
My inescapable conclusion is that the Yukon Gold Potato industry has followed the lead of the Canola Oil industry. They've paid off the publishers to refuse to publish any book or recipe that calls for potatoes unless it calls for Yukon Gold.
There are three classes of "professionals" that are notoriously easy to buy: Politicians, Scientists, and Publishers - don't trust any of them (some Scientists are an exception, but be careful).
Yukon Gold potatoes have an odd flavor, but they are loved by the fancy chef set for one reason - when cooked just right, they can be sliced, diced or otherwise cut to shapes without crumbling. This is very important when your high price depends mostly on presentation.
For any recipe that calls for longer cooking - notoriously stews and many soups. Yukon Golds turn to mush if cooked a little longer than the minimum - and they don't taste like the right potatoes either.
Any recipe I read, I just automatically replace "Canola Oil" with "Pure Olive Oil" (not virgin) and "Yukon Gold Potatoes" with "White Rose" or "Red Potatoes" depending on which is appropriate. Russets are a different matter. Recipes where Russets are right can't possibly work with Yukon Golds.
Background: The Yukon Gold potato was developed to perform well in climates too cold for most varieties. When the chef set picked up on them for their specific needs, well, I think the growers realized that, with a little money in the right places, they could leverage that.