Showing posts with label mashed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mashed. Show all posts
Friday, April 25, 2014
Instant Mashed Potato Pancakes – Made from the Other Kind of Leftovers
I loved seeing mashed potatoes at the dinner table growing up, not only because I loved mashed potatoes, but also because it meant my mother would be using the leftovers to make fried mashed potato pancakes.These were nothing more than cold mashed potatoes, shaped into patties, and browned in butter. I loved them, and use that same trick to this day. The potato pancakes you see here were born from another kind of leftover potatoes…the end of a box of instant potato buds.
Id used them while testing the crispy onion rings recipe, but didnt want to keep such an unsightly container in my pantry (you never know when some other celebrity food blogger is going to drop in to borrow a cup of foie gras), I decided to see what would happen if I used it, uncooked, in a potato pancake mixture. What happened were four crispy, buttery, perfectly decent potato pancakes!
One advantage this version has over the freshly mashed one is those contain milk and butter, which makes it much harder to hold together when fried. Im not saying you should just switch to instant, but I felt like I had to find some shred of a culinary advantage.Logistically, this would be perfect for backcountry camping, or your friendly neighborhood college dormitory for obvious reasons, not the least of which is its cheapness and shelf stability (and by "shelf," I mean an old milk crate, turned on its side).
So, if you have some instant potatoes in the pantry, maybe consider giving this a try. Otherwise, remember this the next time you do find yourself in a similar situation. I mean, who would go out and buy a box just to specifically make a batch of these crispy, crusty, delicious patties? Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Betty Crocker Potato Buds (probably will work with any similar brand)
fresh chives
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Perfect Mashed Potatoes – Breaking the Cycle of Generational Potato Dysfunction
Well, I just posted a meatloaf clip so I thought I would re-post this mashed potato demo. Every day, all across the country, people sit down to plates of lumpy, watery, sticky, gluey, pasty mashed potatoes. This demo will hopefully show you the proper techniques to turn out perfect mashed potatoes every time; always light, fluffy and lump-free.It’s not hard, but it does require breaking some bad, old habits you may have. Making mashed potatoes is one of those comfort foods that you probably learned from your mother. If she used waxy red potatoes, then that’s what you use. If she mixed them for 20 minutes and ended up with something resembling wallpaper paste, then that’s what you do. Well, it’s time to face a harsh reality…your mom may not have known what the hell she was doing. There, I said it. Now, if you mom’s mashers came out great and she taught you well, fantastic! But if you do suffer from this generational potato dysfunction, then watch and learn. As they say, it’s never too late to have a happy childhood (mashed potato-wise at least).
I suggest NOT using a non-stick pot for these, as I will be using a metal wire-style potato masher.
Ingredients:
Serves 4
3 large Russet potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
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