Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
There are as many ways to flavour mashed potatoes as there are cooks. These are my gold standard. They’re simple, with a twist: brown butter. You won’t believe how much flavour is locked into a stick of butter, but you will believe these are the best mashed spuds you’ve ever had.
Ingredients
2 pounds unpeeled potatoes, about 4 large
1/2 cup Butter
a few pinches nutmeg
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Butter
a few pinches nutmeg
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Cut the potatoes into large chunks and steam, boil or microwave them until they’re tender. Drain well.
Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and begin heating and melting it.
Keep a close eye on it as it foams. Swirl it gently, watching the colour. When it turns golden brown and releases the aroma of toasting nuts, immediately pour it into a bowl to lower its temperature and stop it from browning further.
Once the potatoes are tender, mash in the brown butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Taste and season a bit more if needed. Then watch the bowl empty!
Because butter contains as much as 20 percent water, it will begin to steam and foam. Once the water has evaporated, the foam will subside, and the butter’s temperature will begin to rise past the boiling point of water. The milk fat solids that are 1 or 2 percent of the butter will then begin to brown.
Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and begin heating and melting it.
Keep a close eye on it as it foams. Swirl it gently, watching the colour. When it turns golden brown and releases the aroma of toasting nuts, immediately pour it into a bowl to lower its temperature and stop it from browning further.
Once the potatoes are tender, mash in the brown butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Taste and season a bit more if needed. Then watch the bowl empty!
Because butter contains as much as 20 percent water, it will begin to steam and foam. Once the water has evaporated, the foam will subside, and the butter’s temperature will begin to rise past the boiling point of water. The milk fat solids that are 1 or 2 percent of the butter will then begin to brown.
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Recipe Submitted by
Chef Michael
I’m a FoodTV host, cookbook author and official food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, more importantly I’m a Dad and passionate home cook!
Variation
You can mash any potato, but your best bets are the low-moisture, high-starch varieties that are also the best for baking. My favourite is the Yukon Gold. Its creamy texture and golden colour are perfect with the brown butter. You can peel the potatoes if you prefer but you’ll lose some rustic flavour and some nutrients if you do. Your choice! Sliced green onions, chives and chopped parsley add both flavour and colour. French chefs always add a pinch of elegant nutmeg to their potato purées. It adds a pleasing mysterious flavour but feel free to leave it out.
I remember hearing this recipe on the Vinyl Cafe! Totally delicious! :3
I feel like Yukon Gold are ONLY good for mashing, they seem to go from “not quite done” to “holy overcooked batman!” in the moment it takes me to do something–anything– else. It’s been frustrating. What about good old Russets? :)
I grow my own fingerling potatoes, they are long and slim good tasting, thin skinned and add to the buttered brown mashed potato. There is nothing your own potatoes organically grown in loamy soil.
This is a great dish for a Sunday Brunch. I only saw it once in a old magazine and does not seem to be on the Web.
Brown some Breakfast sausage ( don’t fully cook )
Grease a cake pan with butter.
Cover the bottom with Marmalade
Place sausage in neat rows on top of Marmalade
Pour over a cake mix (apple cinnamon or your choice)
Bake in over until cake is cooked
Take out of oven and turn over on a plate
Cut into squares with one or two sausage on each piece
It has great presentation and tastes even better.
I really liked the Chef at Home series as Chef Michael made things look so easy and so much less intimidating. I especially liked the Brown Butter with garlic which is extremely delicious!
I can’t find the review “box” I read yesterday (June 10)
I asked about making a sauce with butter and flour “fingered” together and that I had used it and it was lumpy. I had seen Michael use it and I have obviously erred.
Also, how do I find this review list without searching for 30 minutes. What is it called?
these potatoes are always a hit, i usually add 2 cloves of smashed garlic to the butter shortly before it is done.
I absolutely love the Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes recipe! It is always a huge hit with friends and family. We are big fans of Chef Michael- he’s given me a lot more confidence in the kitchen, with his laid-back approach to cooking recipes that would otherwise be intimidating to beginners like me.