Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (129 page)
SERVES 4
This recipe works best with either a metal colander that sits easily in a Dutch oven or a large pasta pot with a steamer insert. To prevent excess evaporation, it is important for the lid to fit as snugly as possible over the colander or steamer. A steamer basket will work, but you will have to transfer the hot potatoes out of the basket to rinse them off halfway through cooking. For the lightest, fluffiest texture, use a ricer. A food mill is the next best alternative. Russets and white potatoes will work in this recipe, but avoid red potatoes.
2 | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks, rinsed well, and drained |
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
Salt and pepper | |
²⁄ | cup whole milk, warm |
1.
Fit large pot or Dutch oven with metal colander or steamer basket. Add water, keeping level below colander, and bring water to boil. Put potatoes in colander, cover, and cook potatoes over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Transfer colander to sink and rinse potatoes under cold water until no longer hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Return colander and potatoes to pot, cover, and continue to cook until potatoes are soft and paring knife inserted in potato meets no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Pour off water from Dutch oven.
2.
Set ricer or food mill over now-empty pot. Working in batches, press or mill into pot, removing any potatoes stuck to bottom. Using rubber spatula, stir in melted butter and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt until incorporated. Stir in warm milk until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Aligot is French cookery’s intensely rich, cheesy take on mashed potatoes. These potatoes get their elastic, satiny texture through prolonged, vigorous stirring—which can easily go awry and lead to a gluey, sticky mess. After making aligot with different potatoes, we found medium-starch Yukon Golds to be the clear winner. We boiled the potatoes, then used a food processor to “mash” them. Traditional aligot uses butter and crème fraîche to add flavor and creaminess and loosen the texture before mixing in the cheese. But crème fraîche isn’t always easy to find, so we substituted whole milk, which provided depth without going overboard. For the cheese, a combination of mild mozzarella and nutty Gruyère proved just right. As for the stirring, we needed to monitor the consistency closely: too much stirring and the aligot turned rubbery, too little and the cheese didn’t marry with the potatoes for that essential elasticity.
SERVES 6
The finished potatoes should have a smooth and slightly elastic texture. White cheddar can be substituted for the Gruyère.
2 | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1–1¹⁄ | cups whole milk |
4 | ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup) |
4 | ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup) |
1.
Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with 1 inch cold water, and add 1 tablespoon salt. Partially cover saucepan and bring potatoes to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender and just break apart when poked with fork, 12 to 17 minutes. Drain potatoes and dry saucepan.
2.
Transfer potatoes to food processor. Add butter, garlic, and 1¹⁄
2
teaspoons salt and pulse until butter is melted and incorporated into potatoes, about 10 pulses. Add 1 cup milk and continue to process until potatoes are smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides halfway through.
3.
Transfer potato mixture to saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir in cheeses, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated. Continue to cook potatoes, stirring vigorously, until cheese is fully melted and mixture is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is difficult to stir and seems thick, stir in 2 tablespoons milk at a time (up to ¹⁄
2
cup) until potatoes are loose and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
BE PICKY ABOUT PICKING GARLIC
Heads of garlic vary in quality and age throughout the year, and it can be hard to pick a flavorful head. Here’s the test kitchen’s advice: go for the loose garlic, not the heads sold packaged in little cellophane-wrapped boxes that don’t allow for close inspection. Look for heads with no spots of mold or signs of sprouting. Take a whiff; the garlic should not smell unusually fragrant or fermented—signs of spoilage, to be sure. Finally, squeeze the head in your hand. If you feel hollow skins where cloves used to reside or if the head feels at all spongy or rubbery, pass it up—a head of garlic should feel firm and solid.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
The Mediterranean approach of flavoring mashed potatoes with olive oil and garlic is an appealing one, but it’s not as simple as replacing the dairy with oil: olive oil can turn the texture pasty and garlic can be harsh and overpowering. We wanted to translate these bold flavors into a light and creamy mashed potato side dish that would partner well with simple grilled meats or fish. We first simmered the potatoes (we preferred russets) and then put the drained, peeled, still-hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill for a smooth texture. We created a mild flavor base by slowly cooking minced garlic in oil, then heightened the garlic flavor a bit by adding just a little raw garlic, mashed to a paste. Fruity extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon juice brightened the final dish.
SERVES 6
As this dish is denser and more intensely flavored than traditional mashed potatoes, our suggested serving size is smaller than you might expect. These potatoes make a fine accompaniment to simply seasoned grilled meats, fish, and poultry.
2 | pounds russet potatoes |
5 | garlic cloves, peeled |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons salt |
¹⁄ | cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
1.
Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with 1 inch cold water. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until just tender (paring knife can be slipped in and out of potatoes with very little resistance), 40 to 45 minutes.
2.
While potatoes are simmering, mince 1 garlic clove, then place on cutting board and sprinkle with ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt. Using flat side of chef’s knife, drag garlic and salt back and forth across cutting board in small circular motions until garlic is ground into smooth paste. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.
3.
Mince remaining 4 garlic cloves. Place in small saucepan with ¹⁄
4
cup oil and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic foams and is soft, fragrant, and golden, 5 minutes. Transfer oil and garlic to bowl with raw garlic paste.
4.
Set ricer or food mill over now-empty saucepan. Using potholder (to hold potatoes) and paring knife, peel skins from potatoes. Working in batches, cut peeled potatoes into large chunks and press or mill into saucepan.
5.
Add remaining 1¹⁄
8
teaspoons salt, pepper, lemon juice, and remaining 6 tablespoons oil to bowl with garlic and cooked oil and whisk to combine. Fold mixture into potatoes and serve.
AVOIDING COLD DISH MELTDOWN
Serving a host of side dishes during the holidays or when company’s coming can try the patience of even the most practiced cook. The problem? Getting everything to the table at the same time while it’s still piping hot. We’ve come up with a few tricks over the years to help lessen the stress. One holiday classic, mashed potatoes seem to cool off faster than anything else you serve. Here the slow cooker comes to the rescue. Simply transfer the potatoes to a slow cooker set to low; adjust the consistency with hot cream or milk as needed before serving. Keep sauces and gravy hot by transferring them to a fondue pot set to low. Other creamy dishes you can keep hot using this method include creamed onions, candied sweet potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery root can add an earthy, intriguing flavor to mashed potatoes, but because root vegetables and potatoes have different starch levels and water content, treating them the same way creates a bad mash. We wanted a potato and root vegetable mash with a creamy consistency and a balanced flavor. We found that a 1:3 ratio of root vegetables to potatoes provided an optimal consistency, and caramelizing the root vegetables first in a little butter helped bring out their natural earthy sweetness and boosted the overall flavor of the dish. To use just one pot, we first sautéed the root vegetables in butter until caramelized and then added the potatoes with a little chicken broth. To avoid a gluey texture, we rinsed the peeled, sliced potatoes in several changes of water before cooking them.
SERVES 4
Russet potatoes will yield a slightly fluffier, less creamy mash, but they can be used in place of the Yukon Gold potatoes if desired. Rinsing the potatoes in water reduces starch and prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming gluey. It is important to cut the potatoes and root vegetables into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a large Dutch oven. If doubling, increase the cooking time in step 2 to 40 minutes.
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
8 | ounces carrots, parsnips, turnips, or celery root, peeled; carrots or parsnips cut into ¹⁄ |
1¹⁄ | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
Salt and pepper | |
³⁄ | cup half-and-half, warmed |
3 | tablespoons minced fresh chives |
1.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add root vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and vegetables are dark brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. (If after 4 minutes vegetables have not started to brown, increase heat to medium-high.)
2.
Add potatoes, broth, and ³⁄
4
teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cook, covered, over low heat (broth should simmer gently; do not boil), stirring occasionally, until potatoes fall apart easily when poked with fork and all liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. (If liquid does not gently simmer after a few minutes, increase heat to medium-low.) Remove pan from heat, remove lid, and allow steam to escape for 2 minutes.
3.
Gently mash potatoes and root vegetables in saucepan with potato masher (do not mash vigorously). Gently fold in warm half-and-half and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.
Cook 4 slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces, in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter to pan and continue with step 1, cooking root vegetables in bacon fat mixture instead of butter. Substitute 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme for chives and fold reserved bacon into potatoes along with thyme.
This variation is particularly nice with carrots.
Toast 1¹⁄
2
teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Substitute parsley for chives and fold toasted paprika into potatoes along with parsley.