When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Potatoes

Lemon Mashed Potatoes

Side

Lemon mashed potatoes where have you been all my life? Wow! We were blown away by the citrusy deliciousness of these mashed potatoes. They are next level and so simple and are, of course, from the Barefoot Contessa.

I have Ina’s modern comfort food cookbook and despite all the recipes I tagged to make, for some reason this was not one of them.Lemon mashed potatoes would be a perfect accompaniment for an early spring brunch, your Easter dinner or any time when you can get your hands on a Meyer lemon. I have served these with a prime rib and with my favorite salmon recipe, Dijon Panko-Crusted Baked Salmon.Ina does not specify what type of lemon to use, but I much prefer a Meyer, especially as they hang over the fence into our yard. Regular lemons have a stronger acidity and lack the sweetness of a Meyer which is why I use Meyers in every recipe that calls for lemons.

I wish you could smell these lemons! Unlike the ones you buy in the store, these exude the sweetest scent, are really juicy and make the best zest. If you don’t have a Meyer lemon tree (or a neighbor with one), look for them at your local supermarket.

Back to the recipe! Yukon Gold potatoes, butter (lots of butter), milk and lemon zest. Voila!

If a half-pound of butter and whole milk is making your arteries seize up, not to worry, I used 2% milk (and not even a whole cup) and a smidge less than the amount of butter called for and they were perfection. But do not skimp on the lemon zest to get that perfect burst of citrus.

Peeled or unpeeled? That is the question. I peeled the potatoes but you can just as easily leave the skins on as they are paper thin on Yukon Golds. Ina puréed her potatoes with a food mill and if you want elegant, super smooth potatoes that is definitely the way to go. We like ours rustic … mashed and slightly lumpy.

If you are not going to serve immediately, wait to add the lemon zest until just before serving. There was a note in the recipe that these are best served same day as the lemon will be bitter the next day. We had leftovers which were not bitter at all. Probably because I used the Meyer lemons.

Springtime in a bowl!

Ingredients:
2 Meyer lemons, washed and dried
2 ½ pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and peeled or unpeeled)
1 cup whole or 2% milk (see note above)
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes (leave in the refrig until ready to use)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Here is a link to the original recipe if you would like to see/follow Ina’s directions. 

Otherwise, this is how I tweaked her directions:

Cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks, try to get them all the same size so they cook uniformly. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by one inch, add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, let the milk come to room temperature.

After the potatoes are drained, mash until they are the consistency you prefer. Add the cold butter to the warm potatoes several bits at a time and mash or stir to incorporate. Be sure the butter is melted before adding more butter. After all the butter is incorporated, stir in the milk, ¼ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency of the potatoes (thick and creamy – you may not need to use the entire cup). Salt and pepper to taste.

When ready to serve, zest the lemons over the potatoes so you can catch the lemon oils as well as the zest. Stir to combine and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa Modern Comfort Food

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