Margarita's Restaurant Recipes

Zuni Cafe



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

In the introduction to this recipe, Judy Rodgers claims that they have to be wary whenever they serve these potatoes at Zuni Cafe because whichever dish they accompany will greatly outsell all others. I can understand why. The potatoes where incredibly rich and light at the same time and absolutely delicious. The went great with the braised oxtails.

Rodgers suggests that you use Yellow Finnish, Bintje or German Butterball potatoes. My grocer didn't have any of those so we had to settle for russets. 1 1/4 lbs were about 2 1/2 small russets. The recipe would serve four, but I encourage you to at least double it. The mashed potatoes keep wonderfully and you'll want to have some more the next day.

I did debiate from the original recipe a little bit. The original recipes calls for 2-3 tbsp. of milk, half-and-half or heavy cream. I didn't read the "or" so I used 2 tablespoons each of whole milk and heavy cream. Rodgers also recommends warming up the milk or cream before adding it but it doesn't seem to be a necessary step for the home cook.

I made the mashed potatoes on a Saturday night to serve Sunday night, trusting Rodgers in that they would keep. They did that wonderfully, I just reheated them and served them the next day.



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lbs peeled potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
  • salt
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp. buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

    Instructions

    Place the potato chunks in a medium saucepan and add cold water, covering the potatoes by an inch or so. Add the salt and stir. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered until the potatoes are very tender, 8 to 15 minutes.

    Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the milk and whip. Add the cream, whip, add the buttermilk and whip and finally add the melted butter and whip until light and fluffy. Adjust the seasoning adding salt as necessary.

    To reheat. Put in a medium saucepan, add milk as necessary and stir until warm.

    Adapted from the recipe for Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, page 233 of The Zuni Cafe Cookbookt.


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