Brown Butter and Chive Mashed Potatoes

I saw Julie and Julia a few weeks ago and thought it was great.  I loved the past and present switches and how their lives seemed to intertwine across decades.  Seeing this movie also increased my passion for cooking.  I love to cook.  I love to cook things I’ve never cooked before and I love to share food with people.  After Ben and I left the theater I was inspired and demanded that we go to the grocery store and get something to make for dinner.  There was just no way that a frozen pizza was going to do it for me that night.

Since it was after 6 when the movie got out, we decided to grill steaks and make some quick side dishes.  Thank God for the iPhone!  Without it I wouldn’t have been able to find this yummy mashed potato recipe on Epi.  Salad would have been another easy side, but I opted to make something a little more exciting; sautéed green beans with toasted walnuts.

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The potatoes were creamy and delicious with an incredible nuttiness from the browned butter and subtle onion flavor.  I halved the recipe from epicurious so make 4 servings.  I finished the potatoes quite a bit before the steaks were finished, so I kept them covered on the stove and they dried out a bit.  I added a little bit more whole milk and sour cream (maybe a tablespoon of each) before serving to make them creamier.

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I think these potatoes would be a good complement to an Asian marinated chicken or steak.  I also think that low fat milk and sour cream could be substituted.  You cannot, however, skimp on the butter!  The butter makes this a special dish and a nice change from an ordinary mashed potato.

Brown Butter and Chive Mashed Potatoes

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  • 2 ½  lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½  tablespoon salt
  • ½  cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch scallions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Cover potatoes with cold water by 2 inches in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Drain potatoes in a colander, then return to pot and cook over moderate heat, shaking pot occasionally, until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Mash hot potatoes with masher or force through food mill into another pot, then cover to keep warm.
  3. Bring milk with remaining 1/2 teaspoons salt just to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then remove from heat and stir into potatoes until combined. Stir in sour cream, then cover and keep warm.
  4. Cook butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring frequently and scraping up brown bits, until foam subsides and butter is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add scallions and pepper and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Fold butter mixture into mashed potatoes and season with salt.