“SMASHED, MASHED, BOILED AND BAKED — AND FRIED, TOO!” by Raghavan Iyer, Workman, $16.95, 250 pages
A potato can be prepared any number of ways — mashed, cut up and fried, baked, boiled, roasted, put in soups or made part of a salad.
For Raghavan Iyer, a self-described “potato-holic,” that also includes potatoes as an ingredient in chocolate cake, lasagna, flautas, gnocchi, biscuits, curry and aebleskivers, as shared in his recent cookbook “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and Fried, Too!”
A Mumbai native who received the 2016 James Beard Award, Iyer shares 75 recipes for preparing various potatoes which draw inspiration from dishes from around the globe.
“Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and Fried, Too!” gives a primer about nearly two dozen varieties of potatoes, from familiar russets and Yukon golds to Peruvian Purple Fingerlings and Okinawa sweets (and how sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing and sweet potatoes are in a different family).
He also shares tips on what to look for in buying and storing them and the history of potatoes, and many recipes have a “Tater Tip” with additional information or his experiences or an “Add In” with variations on the recipes.
The recipes are divided into six sections: Munchies, Morsels, Tidbits and Finger Foods; Savory Soups and Stunning Salads; Entrees, Mains and Full Plates; Small Plates and Side Dishes; Sweets, Desserts and Grand Finales; and Sauces and Dips.
Many of the recipes have a full-color photo of the dish. Iyer includes detailed instructions, including for preparing the potatoes, and many include a variety of herbs, spices or other seasonings that amp up the flavor and share a twist on the dish.
Iyer also shares instructions on making many of each dish's components from scratch, such as the sauces and ricotta cheese for the Potato Lasagna.
At the end of the cookbook is an index of recipes that are gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo vegetarian.
“Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and Fried, Too!” is for adventurous cooks, ones who aren’t intimidated by recipes from a variety of cultures and are prepared to take the time to follow the recipes through.
*****
If you go ...
What: Raghavan Iyer book signing
When: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com, raghavaniyer.com
Note: The signing line is for those who buy a copy of the featured book from The King's English.
*****
ULTIMATE MASHED POTATOES
The secret of perfect mashed potatoes lies in the right floury potato (the russet), a potato ricer and, of course, indulgent fats such as cream and butter. Singlehandedly the most comforting of foods (no wonder it was touted as an effective cure for hangovers), this cloud-soft fluff is the perfect bed for any and all kinds of herbs, spices, sauces, meats and even vegetables.
Serves: 6
2 pounds russet potatoes
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter
1½ teaspoons coarse sea or kosher salt
1½ teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
1. Peel the potatoes and give them a good rinse under running water. Cut them into quarters, place them in a medium-size pan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and gently boil the potatoes until they fall apart quite easily when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. While the potatoes cook, pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the cream cheese, butter, salt and peppercorns. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, whisking occasionally, until the cream bubbles, the cheese softens and becomes smooth, and the butter melts, 5 to 8 minutes. Keep the cream warm over very low heat until the potatoes are done.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give it a gentle shake to remove excess water. Return the potatoes to the pan. Dry them out over low heat until the surface appears dry, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the potatoes to a ricer and press them through into a serving bowl. (If you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher and fluff them very thoroughly with a fork when completely mashed.) Pour the pepper-speckled cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with the chives. Fold together with a spatula just until the liquid is incorporated. Don’t overmix it.
5. Serve hot. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Add-ins: The cloud-soft texture of mashed russets is the perfect bed for a world of flavors. You may want to try any or all of these combinations.
• Swirl 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary and 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves into the just-heated cream.
• Add ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves just before you fold the liquid into the potatoes.
• As you boil the potatoes, add 3 or 4 large cloves garlic and a small onion, coarsely chopped. Rice them all together for an earthy base.
• Toast 3 or 4 dried red chiles (such as chile de arbol; stems discarded and seeds left intact) and a tablespoon of coriander seeds in a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the chiles blacken slightly and the coriander seeds are reddish brown, 2 to 3 minutes, transfer them, oil and all, to a mortar and pound the mix to an intoxicating but simple blend. Fold this into the cream as it simmers instead of the peppercorns.
• Toast a jalapeño or two over an open flame, holding them with tongs and turning them around to blister the skin on all sides. Discard the stems and add the chiles to the potatoes as they boil. Do not discard the seeds from the jalapeños; mashed potatoes are an excellent medium for modulating the heat of the capsaicin in the chiles. Rice the potatoes and chiles together for a pleasant green color and some smoky heat.
— "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and Fried, Too!" by Raghavan Iyer
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