Whatever mashed potato recipe you have for the holidays–or in general–throw it out…Now. Kyle made this as a side dish for his family’s Thanksgiving dinner a couple of years ago and it promptly upstaged the poor turkey. I had had an accident and was laid up at home with a broken leg and he sent some over as part of a care package. From the first bite, I snagged my phone and texted “WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THESE POTATOES?!?” They were, in a word, divine.
The only problem was that this was one of his chef “throw together” dishes, which meant no recipe or measurements–and yes, he’s that good. As Homer Simpson would say, “D’Oh!” Trust me, I tried to recreate it myself, and while they were fine, “fine” was not what I was going for. He had a basic recollection of the recipe (mostly that it contained ALL the butter), but couldn’t replicate it exactly.
Then, during the course of a recent conversation wherein I mentioned that it would make a great Thanksgiving recipe for the blog *bats eyelashes innocently*, he remembered reading a mashed potato recipe that incorporated small, chilled bits of butter into the finished product just before serving. That little trick, of course, falls into the “Why didn’t we think of that?!?” category. Seriously, I’m thinking of starting a file of those little forehead-smacking tips. “That sounds like something that Canal House would do,” he said, and a quick Google search confirmed his suspicions. Nerd.
As it turns out, that was the mystery ingredient, or proportion, should we say. So away he went to experiment, and voilá, we have the elusive Yukon and Parsnip mash that everyone flipped for that Thanksgiving. The addition of the fresh grated nutmeg really amps up the flavor of the parsnips, and the chilled bits of butter create savory little pools in the finished product that elevate this already sublime dish.
I know we always suggest making extra, and the recipe yield will be fine as is if it’s just you for Thanksgiving, but if you’re expecting any company, you might want to double quadruple it. For real.
Technique from Canal House Cookbook.
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ -inch chunks
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into ½ -inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, divided
- Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
- Place the potatoes and parsnips in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water generously with kosher salt.
- Heath the pot over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the potatoes and parsnips until they can easily be pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
- While the potatoes and parsnips cook, place milk and 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, turn off the heat, and reserve. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons butter into tiny, pea-sized chunks and chill in the freezer.
- Drain the parsnips and potatoes, then return them to the hot saucepan. Stir them for a minute or two to remove any excess moisture, then pass through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl. Stir in the reserved milk and butter mixture, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then stir to combine. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Just before serving, add the reserved chilled butter and give the mash a couple stirs to evenly distribute.
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