Potatoes are a favorite ingredient at my house. We like experimenting with whichever varieties we find in our local markets.
Once, we had a misguided attempt at baking potatoes at a high altitude and developed an accidental baked-boiled-fried recipe as a result. (It was delicious, by the way – tender on the inside and golden crispy on the outside.)
When we find a new recipe for potatoes, we just have to try it. So when I came across a mention of King Edward potatoes, I had to see what I could rustle up around here.
King Edward potatoes are versatile potatoes that are especially good for roasting, baking, and frying.
Try Yukon Gold, red potatoes, Inca Bella, or purple potatoes for roasting if you can’t find this particular variety. You might even make a combination of several for a colorful side dish.
In general, Russet, Yellow Finn, Onoway, and Rooster varieties are superb substitutions for baking. Russet and Onoway are good jacket potatoes, and all work for scalloped potatoes, croquettes, and twice-baked recipes. If you are craving twice-cooked frites, hashbrowns, chips, or steak fries, substitute Maris Piper, Kennebec, and Shetland Black for King Edward Potatoes.
The Maris Piper variety is ideal for frites, and the Shetland Black will make beautiful chips thanks to the white and purple mottled flesh.
When you are shopping for potatoes in the U.S., you may not find the cultivar listed at the grocery store. American grocery stores classify potatoes into 7 categories: russet, red, white, yellow, purple, fingerling, and petite/new.
If you are looking for a particular cultivar, try a farmer’s market or specialty grocer. We have some potatoes listed by category and some by cultivar for our list of substitutions.
Keep reading for ideas about which kind of potatoes you can choose from for the best cooking applications.
Substitutes for King Edward Potatoes
1. Yellow (Yukon Gold)
King Edward Potatoes are delicious when roasted, but if you can’t find them and you like a buttery flavor, try a yellow potato or one with “gold” in its name. The Yukon Gold variety was initially bred in Canada and is popular throughout North America.
Yellow potatoes have thin, tan, speckled skin. The potato’s flesh is yellow-gold and has a creamy texture and buttery flavor. This versatile potato works well in most recipes, but it is especially delicious when cubed and roasted.
Coat 1 to 1 ½” cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and sage and roast in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 45-50 minutes. You will be delighted by the crispy golden outside and the fluffy, buttery inside.
2. Red New Potatoes
Another good substitute for King Edward Potatoes are red potatoes. Some common varieties of red potatoes in the U.S. are Red Pontiac and Red Norland. You may see them labeled red potatoes or red new potatoes at the grocery store.
Red potatoes are waxy, which means they hold their shape when cooked better than fluffy potatoes.
They have a subtle, sweet flavor but are generally neutral and are good in most recipes. They make a good roasted potato when cubed, seasoned, and roasted in the oven for about 50 minutes at 400 degrees.
3. Purple Creamer / Purple Potato
You can add some visual and flavorful variety to your potato choices by substituting purple potatoes for King Edwards. Purple potatoes are a variety from Peru that has become popular in the U.S.
Purple potatoes have not only deep purple skin, but the flesh is purple all the way through. They hold their purple color when cooked and look beautiful on a plate.
They have a sweeter flavor than a white potato but not as sweet as a yam. I like to roast them with Yukon Gold potatoes and cubes of butternut squash for a colorful and healthy side dish.
4. Inca Bella
If you can find the Inca Bella, you will have a delightful substitute for King Edward potatoes. This variety is a combination of Mayan Gold and red potato.
The Inca Bella is a red-skinned potato with yellow, creamy flesh. It cooks quickly, saving you time in the kitchen. It has a fluffy texture and a nutty flavor that will roast beautifully as a side dish with your next meal.
5. Russet Potatoes
The King Edward potato is quite versatile, and you can bake it for a fluffy main course. In the U.S., the Russet potato is an essential potato.
It has dark brown dusty skin and a fluffy white interior. It is an excellent general potato for everything including mash, soup, chips, fries, roasting, and baking.
You can bake a russet potato in the oven or in your pressure cooker. After washing the potatoes, I rub them with butter, coat them with sea salt and wrap them in foil. Then I bake them at 425 Fahrenheit for about an hour and a half.
To cook the potatoes in the pressure cooker, place the trivet in the bottom of the pot. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker. Wash the potatoes, pierce them a couple of times with a knife, and place them on top of the trivet.
Cook on high pressure for 14 minutes for firmer potatoes or 16 minutes for softer potatoes. If the potatoes are very large, you may need to cook them longer or cut them in half.
Top your baked potatoes with sour cream, cheese, and crispy bacon or broccoli cheese soup for a simple filling meal.
6. Yellow Finn
If you can find some, Yellow Finn potatoes are a unique and delicious substitute for King Edward potatoes. They are a European cultivar that is also grown in small batches in California and Washington State. Yellow Finn potatoes have yellow to white skin and dark yellow flesh.
These potatoes are excellent bakers. But instead of baking them like a Russet potato, try slicing it in the Hasselback method. Cut it into thin slices almost all the way through.
Then season the slices with butter or olive oil, your favorite seasonings, and even a sprinkle of cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for about 50 minutes until the potato is soft all the way through.
7. Onaway
Another option you can substitute for King Edward is the Onoway potato. It is similar to a Russet in size and with its rough light brown skin.
The flesh of the Onoway is off-white and cooks a creamy texture. It has a slightly buttery flavor with hints of hazelnut.
The Onoway is a great baker, but it can really shine when you slice it and bake it as scalloped potatoes or in a croquette.
8. Rooster
The Rooster potato is a good substitute for King Edward as a baked jacket potato. It is an Irish potato variety that is a good all-around potato with dark red skin and a fluffy yellow interior. The flavor is more earthy than other yellow potatoes.
Try making “twice-baked” rooster potatoes. Bake them at 450 degrees for about an hour. Cut lengthwise and scoop out the interior, leaving the whole of the skin.
Mix the scooped-out potato with salt, pepper, sliced green onion, butter, and garlic. Spoon it back into the skins and top with cheese.
Return to the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden.
9. Maris Piper
Fries and chips are a favorite around the world. You can substitute Maris Piper potatoes for King Edward for fried potatoes.
Maris Piper potatoes are easily available in the UK but are difficult to find in the United States. They are oval-shaped with pale golden skin. The flesh is cream-colored and is similar to a russet.
The best way to experience these is to double fry them. The cut potatoes are soaked, fried briefly at a low temperature, then fried at a higher temperature for a crispy golden brown exterior.
You can learn specific soaking times and frying temperatures by following this recipe.
10. Kennebec
Kennebec potatoes are a great American substitute for King Edward potatoes for frying. They are lumpy, oval-ish potatoes with light brown skin and a creamy white interior. The flavor is earthy and a little nutty.
Try using Kennebec potatoes for any fried recipe. Steak fries are an obvious choice, but consider them for shoestring potatoes or hash browns as well.
11. Shetland Black
Like the purple potatoes, the Shetland Black will add an enjoyable visual treat as a substitute for King Edward potatoes.
Shetland Black potatoes have dark purple skin, but the inside flesh is mostly white with a purple mottled ring. The taste is somewhat sweet and buttery.
To make the most of the beauty of this potato, slice it into thin circles and fry in a skillet or a deep fryer. Drain well and top with a little salt and pepper.
Mashed Potato Recipe and Substitutes
Throughout this list, we have highlighted one way for each potato to shine. However, potatoes are a magnificent example of an all-purpose food.
You can make mashed potatoes with just about any potato, though some make a thicker mash with chunks of potato and others make a creamy smooth mash.
King Edward potatoes make a perfect mash
Below are easy-to-follow steps:
1.Start by peeling 2 pounds of potatoes and cubing them.
2.Then place them into a steamer over a pot of water.
3.Cover with a tight lid and bring the water to a boil.
4.Steam the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender all the way through.
5.When the potatoes are done, pour out the water and return the potatoes to the pot.
6.Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 ounces of butter, 4 tablespoons of milk, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
7.Whip with a hand mixer until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy.
In America, you can use Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes to make a beautiful mash.
The easy steps are below:
1.Peel and cube 2 pounds of potatoes and put them in a large pot of cold water.
2.Bring the pot to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender all the way through.
3.Pour off the water, reserving some to thin out the mash if needed.
4.Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 ounces of butter, 4 tablespoons of milk, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
5.Whip with a hand mixer until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy.
What is So Unique About King Edward Potatoes?
King Edward is a variety of potato commonly available in Britain. They have creamy-colored skin with light red blush marks. The flesh of the King Edward cultivar is light cream-colored and fluffy. The versatility of these potatoes makes them so popular across the UK.
Nutritional Information for King Edward Potatoes
One 100g serving of King Edward potatoes has about 19 carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and very little fat. These potatoes offer a good amount of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and folates. One serving has about 85 calories.
Remember that when you cook butter, oil, cream, and other ingredients will add fats and calories to the total in the dish.
Final Thoughts
American grocery stores don’t always list the cultivar for the potatoes available in the produce section. When you are looking for a substitution for King Edward potatoes in the US, You can try Russets, red potatoes, or yellow/gold potatoes for the closest texture and flavor.
In the UK, Roosters or Maris Pipers are good all-purpose substitutes. For an interesting look or flavor, try purple potatoes or Shetland Black if you can find them.
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