Crusted Mashed Potatoes
Prune or potato?
My mother, who was very funny, always said that when a woman gets old she becomes either a prune or a potato. You know, she gets thin, frail, fragile and wrinkled or, um, plump and not so frail or fragile (and not so wrinkled).
I like prunes. The dried plums and also some people I know who are senior citizens and slim, whom my mother would regard as prunes.
But potatoes! What can I say?! To me, there is nothing better than a potato, except maybe a cup of hot coffee, but that isn’t food.
Potato. Every kind, every way. That’s for me.
Women? Men? I don’t really care about their girth or lack thereof.
Give me a potato to eat and I’m happy.
Today, National Potato Lover’s Day, seems made for me, don’t you think?
I’m having potatoes with dinner.
These:
CRUSTED MASHED POTATOES
5 medium all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
salt to taste
pinch or two of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the vegetables are beginning to brown. Set aside. Drain the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or potato masher until the lumps have disappeared. Add the vegetables and olive oil and stir them in gently. Stir in the lemon juice, stock, salt and the cayenne pepper. Place the mixture in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top is crispy and brown.
Makes 6 servings