Mashed Potatoes with Variations
Adapted from Chef Waldy Malouf's cookbook, The
Hudson River Valley Cookbook, Harvard Common Press, 1998
This recipe is for basic mashed potatoes, with eight variations. Baking
potatoes, which are starchier and have less sugar than boiling varieties,
produce fluffy mashed potatoes with a nice grainy texture. Yukon Golds
also make good mashed potatoes. To avoid overworking potatoes, incorporate
all the ingredients at the same time.
One large potato yields about 1 cup of mashed potatoes. This recipe
can be adjusted up or down to serve any number of people.
Serves 6
- 2
1/2 lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- Coarse
salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6
T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3
cup heavy cream
Boil the
potatoes in plenty of lightly salted water until they are tender throughout
when pierced with a sharp fork or knife point. Drain the potatoes
well and put them through a food mill or press them through a sieve.
Do not puree the potatoes in a food processor - they will become gluey.
Working the potatoes as little as possible and using a wooden spoon
or spatula, beat in the butter and the cream and season the potatoes
to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately or
set aside and reheat in a casserole in a 350 degree F oven.
Variations for Mashed Potatoes with the Following Ingredients:
Foie Gras: Use 1/2 cup foie gras scraps, chopped into dice.
Sear the scraps in a hot saute pan, stirring until the foie gras is
just cooked and has rendered some fat. Fold in the liver and fat into
the mashed potatoes instead of butter.
Roasted Garlic: Beat in 2 t. roasted garlic puree, (Chef Malouf's
recipe in his cookbook, p.296), when you add the butter.
Herbs and Cheese: Add 1/2 cup grated Hawthorne Valley, Swiss
or Parmesan cheese and 3T. herbs (garlic, chives and parsley, for
example) chopped into a paste to the potatoes before seasoning them.
Horseradish: Beat in 3 T. prepared horseradish when you add
the butter.
Olive Oil and Rosemary: Gently simmer 2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
in 4 T. extra virgin olive oil for 5 minutes. Strain and add instead
of butter.
Tarragon and Tomato: Beat in 1 T. chopped fresh tarragon and
2 T. tomato compote, (Chef Waldy's recipe is on p. 293 in his cookbook),
when you add the butter.
Yukon Gold and Dill: Add 2 T. chopped fresh dill to the potatoes
and substitute 1/3 cup sour cream for the heavy cream.
Wine/Drink Recommendations:
Bourbon based cocktails
Light Burgundy wines
Pinot Noirs
Very dry Johannesberg Riesling
[Cranberry and Chestnut
Stuffing] [Mashed
Potatoes with Variations] [Apple
Bread Pudding]
Turkey
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