I thought I made great potato puree. I did. Now I am able to make incredible potato puree and it is functional. How can potato puree be functional? For years, as long as I have been cooking, making mashed potatoes has been a last-minute event and an arduous process amidst the chaos of getting ready for service. Potato puree had to be made at the last possible moment to ensure silken textures and bright flavors. While I love mashed potatoes, I began to avoid them as our remote nature and need to do more than cook have hindered some of these last-minute preparations. If I can prepare bases ahead and eliminate steps during the witching hour, I am all for it. Hence my discussion on functional mashed potatoes.
Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck has done the research and put pen to paper in his first book, Family Food: A New Approach to Cooking. The process is simple and while I will note the potatoes are thrice-cooked, I believe the price of the book is well worth the knowledge of the technique. Besides, the book has many more concepts, techniques, and ideas which should be part of the culinary canon. Sure, the book looks simple. Try it, you will understand.
Today, we opted to use the potato as a palate for flavors.
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