Anthony Bourdain's Mashed Potatoes, Kind of Robuchon-Style recipe
From the editors of Food & Wine magazine: Anthony Bourdain's version of chef Joël Robuchon's famous mashed potatoes is even creamier than the original.
A stellar mashed potato recipe sits at the intersection of comfort and luxury, at once an exaltation of the humble potato and a celebration of butter in all its glory. Joël Rubuchon, the Michelin Guide's most decorated chef, had a keen understanding of this; he began serving his legendary pommes puree at a time when fine dining was turning up its nose at plebeian potatoes. Rubuchon's potato dish was representative of his larger culinary philosophy: When it comes to flavor, less is more. The chef advocated for letting produce shine by not overcomplicating a dish with too many distractions. Indeed, his famous mashed potatoes were made with nothing more than butter, milk, and salt.
For his rendition of Rubuchon potatoes, Anthony Bourdain kept things equally simple in terms of ingredients. Instead of whole milk, Bourdain opted for heavy cream, though he used slightly less butter. In the end, both recipes employ a ratio of roughly two parts potatoes to one part butter. In Patricia Wells' "L'Atelier of Joël Robuchon," the ratio given is four parts potatoes to one part butter, but that recipe is an adaptation of the original, specifically meant to suit American audiences.
With such a sparse ingredient list, much of this recipe depends on technique to achieve its silky, sublime texture. The one differentiating factor between true Joël Rubuchon mashed potatoes and Bourdain's version is that Rubuchon did not peel his potatoes before boiling them. If you'd like to try this, let the potatoes cool slightly before peeling them to avoid burning yourself.
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Mashed Potatoes, Kind of Robuchon-Style
by Anthony Bourdain
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
4 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
2 Tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to season
6 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain well and let stand in a colander for 3 minutes.
- Pass the potatoes through a ricer into the large saucepan.
- Cook over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the potatoes are hot and steam starts to rise, about 2 minutes; they'll start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add one-fourth of the butter cubes at a time, stirring constantly until incorporated. Stir in the heavy cream and season generously with salt. Serve right away.
Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, November 2016. Reprinted with permission.
