M.F.K. Fisher's "Shook Potatoes"

Saturday, 14 March 2009

Adapted from a description in "With Bold Knife and Fork" by the brilliant food writer, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, who spent chapters of her life on both the South Coast of France and the West Coast of the United States, this recipe makes an “almost mashed” potato that everyone seems to love. I like to use red-bliss or Yukon Gold potatoes. When the tender cooked potatoes are shaken with butter and seasonings, the starch in the potatoes combined with the butter makes a smooth and creamy sauce. (Serves 6) 3 pounds (about 6 small) thin-skinned potatoes 2 quarts water 1 tablespoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter 1/4 cup chopped parsley or a mixture of parsley and chives 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste   1.) Scrub the potatoes, cut them into quarters and put them in a heavy saucepan. Cover the potatoes with cold water. Cover the pot and put it over high heat until the water is boiling; lower the heat to a simmer. 2.) When the potatoes are very tender, after about 20 minutes, take the pan off the stove. Drain off most of the water by holding the lid of the pan with a hot pad and tilting the pan over the sink. There is no need to pour the potatoes through a colander and a little of the cooking liquid left behind is fine. 3.) Add the butter, the chopped parsley and the pepper. Shake the pan very vigorously to break up the potatoes and mix in the other ingredients. Serve hot.   Copyright, Greg Atkinson, 2009

 

< Prev		Next >