Thanksgiving 101 (18 page)

Creamed Onions 101

When I serve creamed onions, I make Cheddar-Scalloped Baby Onions, which I love so much I sometimes worry that I might eat the whole dish by myself. Yet for many Americans it just isn’t Thanksgiving without a blindingly white (and bland, to my taste) bowl of creamed onions on the table. Once I made a huge bowl at the request of my friend Rose Curry. When I proudly presented them to her, she took exactly two onions. “I didn’t say I liked them,” she said quietly. “I just said it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them!!”

• My version uses milk and broth for a deeper flavor—the sauce turns out light beige, but the flavor makes the compromise worthwhile. If you want Mom’s white-sauce-on-white-onions version, use all milk.
  
• Practical cooks use frozen baby onions (which are an excellent product) with no apology. If you want to use fresh pearl onions, they must be peeled and cooked. There are three kinds of pearl onions available. White pearl onions are the most common. Many specialty produce markets carry yellow and red pearl onions, too, and a bowl of creamed onions is especially attractive and tasty if you use all three colors. You may also use small white boiling onions (16 to 20 onions to a pound). Two pounds of fresh pearl or white boiling onions equals 2 pounds of frozen.
  
• To cook fresh baby onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the onions and cook pearl onions for 1 minute and boiling onions for 2 minutes (the water may not return to a boil). Drain well and rinse under cold running water. Using a small, sharp knife, trim off the tops and bottoms of the onions, and pierce the side of each onion with the tip of the knife
  (this helps the onions keep their shape during cooking). Place the onions in a 12-inch skillet and add 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, or use reduced-sodium chicken broth and enough water to barely cover the onions. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the onions are tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, about 8 minutes for pearl onions or 12 minutes for boiling onions. Drain well, reserving the broth to make the creamed onion sauce, if desired. The fresh onions can be cooked up to 1 day ahead, cooled, stored in self-sealing plastic bags, and refrigerated.
  
• When I serve plain creamed onions, I usually make them on the stove to avoid having one more baking dish in the oven. However, if you wish, mix the onions and sauce and place in a lightly buttered 9× 13-inch baking dish, and dot with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. The dish can be made 1 day ahead, cooled, covered with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the sauce, and refrigerated. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350°F oven until the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
  

1.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the milk, broth, and bay leaf until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the milk, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

2.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and let bubble without browning for 1 minute. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and no taste of raw flour remains, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Remove from the heat. Set the sauce aside. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce, and pierce a few times with the tip of sharp knife to release the steam. Set the sauce aside. (The sauce can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often, until hot.)

3.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the onions and return to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 3 minutes. Drain very well. Return to the warm cooking pot. Add the warm sauce and mix well. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately. (The creamed onions can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead, stored at room temperature. Reheat in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until heated through.)

Cheddar-Scalloped Baby Onions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare Creamed Onions, preferably with 2 pounds of fresh white, yellow, and red pearl onions. Stir 1½ cups extra-sharp Cheddar cheese into the hot creamed onions
until melted. Transfer to a lightly buttered 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Mix
²
/3 cup freshly prepared bread crumbs (preferably from day-old crusty bread) and
¹
/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the onions. Dot with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. The onions can be prepared up to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, for up to 1 day. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Old-fashioned Mashed Potatoes 101

Mashed potatoes are as American as Thanksgiving itself. Variations range from wasabi to lobster chunks. But at Thanksgiving, nothing beats a well-made bowl of classic mashed potatoes. As with many other deceptively simple dishes, there are reasons why sometimes you have good mashed potatoes, and other times you have
great
mashed potatoes. Here are my secrets to make those great ones, served piping hot, ready for that big ladle of gravy:

• Potatoes with a high starch content (the kind used for baking) provide the traditional flavor and texture. The same starch that gives a baked potato its fluffy interior also contributes to perfect mashed potatoes. Yellow-fleshed varieties like Yukon golds or yellow Finns are excellent as well, but they turn out the same color as mashed turnips, which can be disconcerting to potato purists. If you live near a farmers’ market, take the potato farmers’ advice on local favorites—they may suggest an interesting heirloom variety that will become your favorite, too.
  
• If possible, buy your potatoes about a week ahead of time and age them in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator)—mature potatoes are drier and mash up lighter. Don’t let them sprout eyes, though.
  
• Always make mashed potatoes just before serving. Warmed-over mashed potatoes leave me cold, although the Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole, can be made well ahead and is delicious.
  
• Don’t overcook the potatoes—they should just yield to a sharp knife when pierced. If the drained potatoes seem soggy, return them to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. This step forces the excess steam out of the potatoes and dries them out.
  
• Mash the drained potatoes in the still-warm cooking pot with
  hot
  milk—a cold bowl and cold milk make for lumpy, lukewarm potatoes. The exact amount of milk is a matter of taste, so use more or less to reach your desired consistency.
  
• Use an efficient mashing utensil. Some cooks swear by a potato ricer, which does make the smoothest potatoes, as long as you enlist another pair of hands to make the job go quickly. I use an electric hand mixer. If you want to use a low-tech, old-fashioned hand potato masher, go to a restaurant supply store and get a large one, or the chore will take forever, with the potatoes cooling off by the second. Never mash potatoes in a food processor, which will give you gummy mashed potatoes.
  
• Season the mashed potatoes well with salt and pepper. I have suggested amounts, but use your taste. White pepper (which is
  actually spicier than black) will give you pristine mashed potatoes, but certainly use black if you wish.
  

1.
Fill a large (5 quarts or larger) pot halfway with cold water. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks about 1½ inch square, and drop them into the pot. Add more cold water to completely cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches. (The potatoes can be prepared up to this point for 4 hours, stored at cool room temperature.)

2.
Stir in enough salt so that the water tastes mildly salted. Cover tightly and bring to a full boil over high heat, which should take at least 20 minutes, so allow sufficient time.

3.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and set the lid askew. Cook at a moderate boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, about 25 minutes. Add more boiling water, if needed, to keep the potatoes covered.

4.
Drain the potatoes well and return to the warm cooking pot. Add the butter. Using an electric hand mixer, mash the potatoes, gradually adding enough milk to reach your desired consistency. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Garlic-Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Leeks

You simply won’t find a more sinful, more awe-inspiring mashed potato recipe on the planet. At first I balked at putting them on my Thanksgiving menu, which is hardly lacking in flavors or calories. But I knew I did the right thing when one guest remarked, “No offense, but next year, let’s serve these potatoes as the main course and serve the turkey on the side.” Because these are at their best when served immediately after making, have everything ready to roll so there’s no last-minute confusion.

LEEKS

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

1.
To prepare the leeks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. (The leeks can be prepared 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat.)

2.
To make the potatoes, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Place the potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.

3.
Meanwhile, slowly heat the milk and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until bubbles form around the edges of the milk. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand to infuse the milk with the garlic, 15 to 30 minutes.

4.
Mash the drained potatoes with a potato masher or handheld electric mixer. Add the mascarpone and butter. Mix, adding enough of the garlic-milk mixture to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the leeks. Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole

I was a mashed potato snob who held tight to the belief that mashed potatoes are only worth eating when they are freshly made, until my friend, caterer/food stylist/restaurateur Katy Keck, set me straight. Katy, who is in the habit of cooking Thanksgiving dinner for over two dozen people, would never dream of trying to mash that many potatoes in one batch. She gave me this recipe for a delicious make-ahead casserole, with lots of dairy ingredients to keep the spuds moist.

1.
Fill a large pot (at least 5 quarts) halfway with cold water. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks about 1½ inch square, and drop them into the pot. Add more cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches.

2.
Stir in enough salt so that the water tastes mildly salted. Cover tightly and bring to a full boil over high heat, allowing at least 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and set the lid askew. Cook at a moderate boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook the potatoes.

3.
Drain the potatoes well and return to the warm pot. Add the cream cheese and butter. Using a handheld electric mixer, mash the potatoes until the cream cheese and butter melt. Beat in the sour cream and milk. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Transfer to a buttered 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Cool completely. (The potatoes can be prepared up 4 hours ahead, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and stored at cool room temperature; or cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)