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The term “comfort food” originated in the US, and I’ve heard it used In Italy only recently, mostly by food-bloggers. That’s not to say that we didn’t have comfort food before, we just didn’t have a name for it. On top of that, our choices are often different. Where you go for hamburgers, we dig into spaghetti; when you take out the ice cream, we open the Nutella jar. There is one exception, a unifying, universal ingredient: mashed potatoes. In Northern Italy, when a mom wants to comfort her kids after a not-so-great grade at school, a broken heart, or simply a long week of rain, she will serve this crowd-pleaser as a side: Pure’ di patate (potato puree), a silky, creamy and scrumptuous blend of starchy potatoes, milk and butter.
While mashed potatoes can be dry, lumpy, hyper-garlicky, and even gloppy, puree is velvety smooth, and will win the pickiest palates over with its decadence. Not even your carb-phobic friends will be able to resist it.
* for a non-dairy version, replace the butter and milk with olive oil and vegetable broth.
* *if you are watching your weight, you could replace the whole milk with 1% and halve the butter; but do add some butter for flavor.
*** If you need to reheat it, you should add a little more hot milk or broth.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes (Yukon gold or russet, not too young)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup milk, or a little more
- salt to taste
- a pinch of nutmeg
Directions
Cook the potatoes with the peel (whole, if they are small-ish, or halved or quartered if they are very large) in a pot of salted boiling water (30-45 minutes). If you are in a rush, you can cook them much faster in a pressure cooker or even in the microwave (about 15 minutes). Test them with a fork to make sure they are soft, and drain, discarding the cooking water. Allow them to cool until they are still very warm but not too hot to handle, and peel them.
Put them through a ricer or potato masher, gathering them back into the pot. Place the top over low heat and add the butter, and then slowly the hot milk, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Keep stirring until the puree is soft, smooth and silky! Adjust the salt, add a pinch of nutmeg, and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes (Yukon gold or russet, not too young)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup milk, or a little more
- salt to taste
- a pinch of nutmeg
Directions
Cook the potatoes with the peel (whole, if they are small-ish, or halved or quartered if they are very large) in a pot of salted boiling water (30-45 minutes). If you are in a rush, you can cook them much faster in a pressure cooker or even in the microwave (about 15 minutes). Test them with a fork to make sure they are soft, and drain, discarding the cooking water.
Allow them to cool until they are still very warm but not too hot to handle; peel them, and put them through a ricer or potato masher, gathering them back into the pot.
Place the top over low heat and add the butter, and then slowly the hot milk, stirring with a wooden spoon. As you add milk, you can also switch to a whisk. Keep stirring until the puree is soft,
Smooth and silky! Adjust the salt, add a pinch of nutmeg, and serve immediately.
* for a non-dairy version, replace the butter and milk with olive oil and vegetable broth.
* if you are watching your weight, you could replace the whole milk with 1%, but do add some butter for flavor.
* If you need to reheat it, you should add a little more hot milk or broth.
https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/01/18/potato-puree/
I love mashed potatoes! I never thought of using broth instead of milk to keep them creamy, what a smart idea!
Hi! Like most people in northern Italy, I make it without garlic – it’s more delicate and complements, rather than overwhelm, the flavor of the food it’s served with.
I am obsessed with this recipe! So buttery and creamy yet so simple to make. I just learned the trick a few weeks ago to use broth to make the potatoes creamy and it really works! I can’t wait to try these.
Oh yes, the ultimate comfort: potatoes. I love them with broth and olive oil.
I always go for the classic butter version when possible!
this recipe looks amazing! so much better than the regular mashed potatoes i make
Indeed – comfort food. When i was little, I loved mashed potatoes – so much so that my mom called me “The Potato Kid.” I love them still.
Your recipe looks wonderful, and your blog is beautiful. What great photographs! This is my first visit, having seen your site in the Comment section of Frank’s site, Memorie de Angelina. I know I will return often. Complimenti e alla prossima!
Aaawww grazie mille dei complimenti! I also love Frank’s blog Memoriediangelina, it’s one of my favorites!
I almost always boil cloves of garlic in the water with the potatoes when I make a potato puree.
Oh hello! This is right up my alley. Whenever I am seriously not feeling well, this is the thing I want most..and they taste fantastic with homemade tomato sauce!
Mashed potatoes are my ultimate comfort food, this looks perfect!
Why does Potato Puree sound so much fancier than mashed potatoes?
There is nothing so comforting as mashed potatoes. With *lots* of butter, of course… And I make them exactly like you do. Nothing like that silky smooth texture that comes from passing the potatoes through the food mill.