Do the mash

can't forget what holds it all together

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES                   
a dinner side dish for eight to twelve

I once was rather entertainingly ambitious and had a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner in my first home, and I fed thirty-two people.   Yeah, we had several tables end-to-end, down the dining room, through the entry hall and into the front room.  It was an exhausting success, although you’ll notice I don’t mention I did it again.  But it was at this memorable event that I made these potatoes.  In fact, I made a lot of the recipes in this book.

This dish can once again ‘hide’ the vegetables you can’t get ‘those’ folks to eat normally.  Several of my guests exclaimed (we were drinking wine, so exclaiming was expected) that they had no idea turnips tasted that wonderful.  They just don’t realize how tasty they are.  You can help to raise your friends’ collective consciences.   Yes, you.

I’m a potato skin lover.  They add flavor, vitamins, minerals and texture – so I choose not to peel, but definitely scrub well with a vegetable brush, trimming any dark spots or sprouts from the surfaces.  The best mashing potatoes are the more starchy kind, where the young variety that are waxy and small have a more peppery flavor and creamy texture.  Russet and Yukon gold have been the mashed potato choice for years.  The waxy type of potatoes is offered with the red ‘new’, and white ‘rose’ among others.   Scrub them well and pat dry.  I usually boil/steam a ratio of seventy-five percent of the starchy potatoes, and twenty-five percent of the waxy for the enhanced combined flavor and texture.  Other similar textured root or winter vegetables may be added to this mix when boiling/steaming, for a great new take.

Heat oven to 350°

Tools:   large pot to boil or steam root vegetables; large sauté or frying pan to simmer smaller vegetables; potato masher (curved ‘snake’ kind is best, not the criss-cross kind); collander; 4-5 qt casserole dish – oiled or sprayed. 

Optional – pastry bag or large zip-lock bag with star tip added in one trimmed corner

Ingredients:

            4-5    pounds russet and/or Yukon gold, diced
                           about 1 inch – but of as equal size
                           as possible

1-2      pounds new red or white rose, quartered

 1      pound turnips and/or parsnips, whichever is
               fresh and ripe, peeled, cut into inch
               segments (may be supplemented with
               celery root, rutabagas, cauliflower,
               fennel, sweet potatoes/yams, etc –
               or also try a puree of legumes – fava
               beans, garbanzo beans, green peas, 
               white beans etc)

           

            2-3    small to medium carrots, diced ¾ inch

             2      medium onions, diced ¾ inch

2-3      large cloves garlic, rough chopped

 2      tbs each olive oil and butter  

             1      tsp dried oregano or thyme, or double that
                         with fresh

            Salt and pepper to taste

             1     cup warm milk  (or may use evaporated milk
                         combined with broth/stock, or broth/
                         stock alone)

             4     oz butter (one cube), room temperature      

Preparation:  Wash/brush the potatoes well, and peel the turnips and/or parsnips.  Dice to size and set in cold salted water and bring to boil (or steam in colander inside larger pot).  Cook till tender, drain and set aside to cool partially.  

While the potatoes/turnips are cooking/steaming, in a non-stick saucepan or frying pan, sauté the carrots, onions and garlic in the butter and oil, at a medium hot flame until beginning to caramelize, add the herbs and lower the heat to medium and continue sautéing until caramelized richly, darkened to deep amber brown, about fifteen to twenty minutes.  They will reduce considerably.  Allow to cool somewhat.  Place the carrot and onion mix, garlic and all their oil into the processor (and any legumes if desired) and carefully purée to as smooth as possible, you may need to scrape down from time to time, perhaps adding the milk or broth (all or in part) at this time. 

With a masher, hand-mash the still warm potatoes and turnips/parsnips to a crude mash, relatively smooth.  Add the warm milk and cube of butter (if not before) and gently blend, then fold in the puréed carrot mixture and again gently stir to blend well.  As you’re blending, a very careful drizzle of a flavored oil such as herb, annatto/achiote or truffle – or walnut. sesame, or hazelnut oil would rock! 

Folding in options of prepared foods such as baba ganoush (a middle eastern eggplant dish), hummus (a Mediterranean chickpea dish), wasabi (Japanese horseradish, dissolved into the liquids),  canned un-diluted creamed soups (cream of:  asparagus, chicken, mushroom, etc - they have considerable salts, so season accordingly), creamed corn, and leftover dishes like mac and cheese, rice pilaf, hash browns etc, can offer a great and quick alternate to just mashed 'spuds'.

Replace this potato mass to the oiled baking dish.  If you wish, you can top it all by piping through a pastry bag with a star tip (or a large zip-lock bag with a star tip first inserted into the trimmed corner prior to filling) and create a ridged decorative wide border or complete ridged surface of the casserole.  Bake to bring to heat and to lightly brown the top and the ridges of the piping and bringing a light delicious crisp, about thirty to forty minutes.

An obvious option would be to add grated cheese in some format to this dish.  It can be added in the 'folding', or easily sprinkled or layered on the top - either application made just before returning to the oven for a final heat.

As another option, you can start out with relatively large Yukon gold or russet potatoes, pre-baked and whole, and carefully slice off the top third, length wise.  Gently scoop out the meat of the potato with a spoon or melon baller, leaving about a quarter inch of skin shell of the potato, like a 'bowl'.  This shell can be deep fried or lightly brushed with oil or butter and baked in a hot over till lightly crisped but NOT crunchy.  THEN the potato mix can be filled into the shell, and all can be reheated to a delicate surface crust on the top as with the casserole.

Freshly minced fresh herbs folded in at the very last before baking could also brighten and gently alter the final taste.  Basil, tarragon, cilantro, parsley, watercress, dill, sage, lavender, or even saffron or citrus zest could be considered. 

This dish will make a great roasted topper for Shepherd’s Pie, green beans or pork roast as well.