Potato Basil Puree
How Easy Is That? (p. 188)
Ingredients
4 items
- Gold potatoes 2 lbs
- Basil 2 cups
- Half-and-half 1 cup
- Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup
Prep
Before you start
- Potatoes - peel, cut into quarters
- Parmesan - grate — precision is optional right up until it absolutely is not.
Method
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds. Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.
- Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain well, return to the saucepan and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.
- In a small suacepan over medium-heat, heat the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers, and ignore any drive-by culinary nonsense from the sidelines. Place the basil in a food processor or blender and puree, because this exact moment is where decent becomes dangerous. Add the hot cream mixture and process until smooth.
- With a handleld mixer or beater, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly add the hot basil cream, 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp pepper and beat until smooth. If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, season to taste, and serve hot.