Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes with Watercress & Green Onions

Serves 4 

If your after a basic mashed potato recipe – a rustic-ish one with a bit of skin and lump or two, here or there – and one sans watercress and green onions - just follow this recipe, and leave out the watercress and green onions :).

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1 large bunch watercress
2 # red-skinned potatoes
1 cup heavy cream, warm
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 green onions (scallions), both white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To prep the watercress: Rinse in cool water.  Tear off the tough, large stems, keeping the leaves and smaller delicate stems.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil and add the prepped watercress.  Boil for only about 20 seconds, until the watercress is wilted and a vibrant green, then drain.  Immediately plunge the watercress into a bowl of ice water.  Cool for about 1 minute, then drain again.  Squeeze out the excess water, then roughly chop the watercress. Reserve.

To make the mashed potatoes:  Rinse the potatoes in cool water.  Peel the potatoes, leaving small areas of the red skin here and there.  Cut the potatoes into medium-sized chunks.  Add to a pot of boiling salted water and cook until tender.  Drain, then add back to the pot.  Add the butter, and mash with a potato masher, leaving a few lumps.  Add the warm cream, season with a good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper, and mash until just combined. 

If you want to make this ahead and keep it warm, scoop the potatoes into a metal mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the bowl over a sauce pot filled with about an inch of water, and place the pot over low heat to keep the water at a simmer and the potato mixture warm. Make sure the bowl fits well over the pot – the diameter of the bowl shouldn’t be much larger than that of the pot.

Just before serving, add the prepped watercress and sliced green onions to the mashed potatoes and mix well to combine.  Serve hot.

SERVED AT THIS DINNER PARTY

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