Menu Development | By Marc Halperin
It didn’t generate much in the way of fanfare—T-shirt and merchandise sales were reportedly tepid, fireworks displays were few, and stadium crowds were fewer. But 2008 really was the United Nations International Year of the Potato.
The U.N took a fair bit of heat for what was seen in some quarters as an inappropriately whimsical declaration, but the intent, as official “Year of the Potato” literature made clear, couldn’t have been more serious. The potato “is the world’s No. 1 nongrain food commodity … potato consumption is expanding strongly in developing countries, and the potato’s ease of cultivation and high energy content have made it a valuable cash crop for millions of farmers,” according to the potato2008.org Web site conjured up for the occasion.
They couldn’t have picked a better year to honor the humble spud. As credit markets cratered, banks went belly-up, and mass insecurity became the new “irrational exuberance,” people sought culinary comfort where they often do: in the simple, familiar, inexpensive, and ultimately satisfying staples they grew up with. Strong sales of Campbell’s soups (NYSE:CPB)—and the relative resilience of the company’s stock during this past autumn’s market swoons—were cited as evidence that comfort foods ranging from pastas to pot pies to pot roasts were back in a big way. And that kind of environment plays straight to the potato’s strengths.
But while potatoes, be they deep-fried, baked, roasted, or mashed, have been a quick-serve fixture for decades, we havenít seen a whole lot of innovation in the potato ranks among major chains in recent years. So in the spirit of unearthing some interesting possibilities during these lean economic times, here are a few ideas for making waves with potatoes.
Put ’em in more pivotal supporting roles. Traditionally, potatoes have been sloughed off to the side of the plate as standalone menu items: fries, skins, hash browns, and baked stuffed varieties dominate the field. Seldom do we see them incorporated directly into main courses. And yet, one bite of the popular heirloom potato pizza at Gordon Drysdale’s Pizza Antica, a four-unit Bay Area chain with a large, growing, and intensely loyal clientele, and you’ll wonder why thin-sliced potatoes drizzled with olive oil or truffle oil aren’t de rigueur on pastas, pizza, burgers, salads, or open-faced sandwiches.
San Francisco’s Zuni Café has experienced similar success with a cheese-free pie that includes potato, pancetta, rosemary, and rock salt. And in a somewhat similar vein, Pittsburghers have been putting fried potatoes on their sandwiches for … well, forever. The point is, potatoes can help accent and add depth to dishes when they’re part of the overall picture rather than relegated to the role of mere accompaniment.
Explore different configurations for familiar favorites. Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, but they’re a challenge to eat on the go, even if they’re part of a KFC bowl. But what if they were encased in a tasty, drip-free, edible cone instead? I recently read that Wal-Mart has introduced a hand-held pizza product in Brazil using this type of carrier. Why not stuff something like that with crushed garlic mashers and cheddar? The cones could easily come in proprietary flavors, and the possibilities for the range of fillings are only limited by an operator’s imagination. It’s not hard to envision a hearty mashed-potato cone that would satisfy comfort-food urges among the time-strapped and on-the-go public.
Consider healthier preparations. The Atkins diet gave potatoes a bad rep, but as it turns out, the belief that these tubers contribute to weight gain might not have been warranted or justified. Potatoes are loaded with fiber. And some experts believe the presence of a protein known as proteinase inhibitor II can help promote the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone believed to contribute to the sensation of satiety. So just imagine the healthful possibilities if fast-food chains were to begin offering already-satiety-promoting potatoes in nondeep-fried forms.
At Evos, a Tampa, Florida–based chain that aims to appeal to health- and quality-conscious consumers, air-baked AirFries have been the order of the day for more than a decade. And as impingement oven technology—which “pierces” foods with needle-like jets of extremely hot air and requires no fat—continues to gain favor in the marketplace, it’s possible that mock-fried foods will become more commonplace and more viable as alternatives to popular fried foods … even among french fry–loving quick-serve regulars.
All of which is to say that with consumers hunkering down, cutting back, and looking for comfort in familiar foods, now might be the perfect time to invest in some creative new potato preparations.