Author Notes: Irish traditional/updated. The sourness of the buttermilk added to the fattiness of the butter combine to make these potatoes the perfect food. Buttermilk and potato, when enough is consumed to give sufficient calories for the day, is an almost perfectly balanced source of protein, explaining the Irish population explosion preceding the Great Famine. The butter would have been a luxury, when added to buttermilk you are basically reconstituting milk, but in a much more interesting form. —greally
Serves: 4
Ingredients
-
4
pounds mealy/floury potatoes (high-starch, not waxy, e.g. russet)
-
200
milliliters Buttermilk
-
4
tablespoons butter
-
0.5
teaspoons salt
-
1
dash black pepper
Directions
- Peel potatoes, cut into 1 cm slices.
- Bring about 3 liters of water to a boil. Add enough salt (about a palmful) to make it taste pleasantly and noticeably salty.
- Add potatoes to boiling water. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes until you can push a fork through easily.
- Drain in colander, then sit colander back on top of pot used for boiling to keep hot and to allow potatoes to dry somewhat.
- Put butter and buttermilk in a bowl large enough to accommodate potatoes. Microwave to melt butter. Don’t worry when buttermilk looks curdled.
- Using a potato ricer, rice potatoes into hot buttermilk/butter.
- Fold liquid into riced potato until just mixed, do not overwork. If too dry, add a little more buttermilk and butter.
- Taste for saltiness, add salt if needed, and grind in some black pepper.
- Can hold in warm oven covered with foil, or preferably serve immediately.
