When Autumn is checking in, the lower temperatures in the northern hemisphere make you feel the need of those warm, richer dishes that you haven't eaten for months.
Indeed, the recipe of today is my personal version of Potato Puree, an enjoyable and tasty side dish perfect for Autumn and Winter meals.
Potatoes boiled and mashed, more or less differently flavored, is a recurrent dish in many cuisines. From traditional Mashed Potatoes, served with turkey at Thanksgiving dinner in North America, to the Potato Purée accompanying North See meunière soles in many French restaurants.
However, my recipe comes with some unique ingredients which make my puree exquisite and light at the same time.
The recipe is based on my memory of the very same preparation by my grandma who had this potato purée in her personal cooking book. She was from the North-East Italian region of Veneto; I would therefore position there the origins of this dish.
Let's start with the key ingredient: potatoes. I use all-purpose, white paste potatoes from organic cultivation, without paying too much attention to their texture, although I know that starchy should be better than waxy for this preparation.
Take the potatoes and peel them. If they are very different in size, chop them up into big equal chunks as this will facilitate the homogeneous cooking.
Quickly wash them, put into a soup pot covered with hot water and let them boil on the stove until tender.
Test often your potatoes with a fork; they are ready only when the fork can penetrate without any resistance. Pay attention to reach this condition otherwise your purée will inevitably result lumpy.
At that point, remove the potatoes from the pot and put them on a drainer for a few minutes.
Now you have to mash your potatoes by squeezing them through a ricer directly into another (smaller) pot. There are different types of ricers; I am personally very comfortable with the device in the picture which has always ensured fluffy soft purees.
Add 50 grams or 2 oz of genuine butter which will start immediately melting in contact with the hot potato pulp and put the pot on the stove at low heat.
Amalgamate the butter with the mashed potatoes and start pouring in the pot a small quantity of fresh milk. Stir gently first and then vigorously with a paddle or a whisk and gradually add more milk until the desired thickness has been reached.
Adjust with salt and white pepper and add a generous pinch of grated nutmeg which will give to your purée a unique delicious flavor.
Keep stirring and bring the purée to the first boil; finally add 50 grams or 2 oz of high quality grated Parmesan cheese.
Give a final vigorous stir and your delicious Potato Purée is ready. It is a great side dish for juicy roast meats but you can try it also with some ripe cheese. Enjoy your meal!
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