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Daniel Pinkwater's Mashed Potatoes
On All Things Considered one night, Daniel Pinkwater told the tale of the finest mashed
potatoes he had ever had. He encountered them in a restaurant, so he didn't exactly have
a recipe to share. All he had was a list of ingredients as given to him by the owner.
From that, we are trying to construct a true recipe. The quantities given below are our
current best guess. Pinkwater didn't say anything about cream, but we think it important.
We won't say anything about the potato skins. Our preference is to include them, but most
purists will disagree.
| 2 lbs. russet or Yukon Gold baking potatoes |
2 T. sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced |
| 3 T. olive oil |
1/2 c. leeks (white parts only), finely diced and carefully rinsed |
| 1 T. lemon juice |
1/4 c. heavy cream |
| 1 t. cumin |
1/2 t. salt |
- Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large pan with enough to cold water
to cover them by at least an inch. Over a high heat, bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and allow the potatoes to cook, about 30 to 45 minutes, until
they are tender when stuck with a sharp knife.
- While the potatoes are simmering, prepare the tomatoes and the leeks. Assuming you're using
dried tomatoes, cover them with boiling water and allow them to soak before dicing them.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the leeks and cook them over a low heat,
stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and lemon juice.
- Remove the potatoes from the water. If you're going to peel the potatoes, now is the
time, holding them with a fork and peeling them with a paring knife.
- Mash the potatoes, preferably with a ricer. Gently stir in the cream,
then the leeks and tomatoes, and, finally, the cumin and salt. Serve immediately.
6 servings
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