This all depends on the size of the potato. Small to medium sized potatoes can be boiled whole. Larger sized potatoes should be cut in half to ensure they cook properly all the way through.
Potatoes that aren't cut down to size will cook to a mush on the outside before the centre is soft enough to eat. Hard potatoes are not very tasty and next to impossible to mash should you wish to do so to disguise the fact you made a pig's ear of cooking them.
The only time you might get away with cooking a larger potato is when you are part boiling them prior to roasting. Ten to fifteen minutes is recommended for part boiling, prior to roasting at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.Even then most people would prefer to serve up two or three medium sized roast potatoes rather than one large roasted potato.
Potatoes that aren't cut down to size will cook to a mush on the outside before the centre is soft enough to eat. Hard potatoes are not very tasty and next to impossible to mash should you wish to do so to disguise the fact you made a pig's ear of cooking them.
The only time you might get away with cooking a larger potato is when you are part boiling them prior to roasting. Ten to fifteen minutes is recommended for part boiling, prior to roasting at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.Even then most people would prefer to serve up two or three medium sized roast potatoes rather than one large roasted potato.
