Recipe

Sour Mash Mash

Community Pick!

Sour Mash Mash

Photo 1 of 3
by Bevi

Sour Mash Mash

Photo 2 of 3
by Bevi

Sour Mash Mash

Photo 3 of 3
by boulangere

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Root Vegetable Side
  • Bevi's Testing Notes: My husband said, "This is good. Can it be on the Thanksgiving menu?" I pressed him for more information and he said: "Great texture, great taste, and I love the bourbon." Using one of each...

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  • Chef

    boulangere's Notes: Inspired by food52's latest and Tom Hirschfeld and his sipping tree. . . . The natural spiciness of rutabagas and turnips is tempered a bit by the common russet potato and some soft butter...

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Serves 4

  1. Place cubed rutabagas and turnips in a stainless steel pot and fill with cold water to cover, leaving enough water to add the cubed potatoes after a few minutes. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt. The first two vegetables are much more dense than the potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the cubed potatoes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes more, until all can be very easily pierced with a paring knife.

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  2. Set a colander in the sink and drain the vegetables. Return them to the pot. Add as much butter as you’re comfortable with, then add a couple of ounces more. It’s going to make the texture really silky, and the flavor will be oh so good. Relax. January's resolutions will be here soon enough. Using a hand masher, mash up the vegetables and mash in the butter. Don’t go for perfectly smooth. Some lumps of texture are nice.

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  3. Add 4 ounces of buttermilk and an ounce of the good stuff. Stir to blend well. Taste. Season with some salt and pepper and taste again. Decide if they need to be a bit softer with some more buttermilk or a bit smoother with some more bourbon.

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  4. Serve with something you love to people you love. Cheers!

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56 Comments on Sour Mash Mash

Img_2764 Reply

Bevi, thank you for such a kind review. I am delighted you broke out the seriously good stuff. And I'm honored to be at your Thanksgiving table!

Profile Reply

The honor is going to be ours. That's a seriously good dish and well worth the good stuff ;-)

Img_2764 Reply

Bevi, you don't let grass grow under your feet! Your photo is SO much better than mine. It's beautiful, and thank you profoundly for sharing it!

Profile Reply

Oh my pleasure! This dish was such a hit! You'll read all about it soon!

Reply

I just read your recipe to my husband (who deems himself quite the Bourbon connoisseur) his remark......."Roots and Bourbon.......lets go for it!!" Which we will certainly do this weekend!

Img_2764 Reply

Oh, I hope you enjoy it . . . and it sounds like you've got access to some seriously good stuff.

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If not it will give him a reason to go find a new one!! :-)

Img_2764 Reply

LOL! Please let us know which you use!

Img_2764 Reply

This reminds me of an interview I read with the famously reclusive Eudora Welty. The interviewer, whose name of course I can't recall, described her finally warming to him and bringing out a bottle of bourbon "so aged that the label bore only a number."

Profile Reply

I totally missed this while away from the homestead. I'm in.

Img_2764 Reply

LOL! Welcome home!

2007-09-11e-s4 Reply

Bourbon in mashed root veggies? Oh, hell - why not! It works well in ice cream and cheesecakes, in stews and casseroles, not to mention on the rocks with a splash of water. Sis can pick up some rutabagas and turnips next time she goes to the big city and we'll give this one a try!

Img_2764 Reply

Those big city roots are a good as any. Pour a splash on the rocks while they cook, and I hope you enjoy it.

Shamrock-medal Reply

Boulange, your comment totally reminded me of Justin Wilson! I used to watch his show when I was in high school, and actually had his cook book. I gar-on-tee! He was always taking a nip from the wine or whatever he was using to cook!

Img_2764 Reply

Oh, what a great story! Sort of like My Drunk Kitchen with a little more restraint?

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

I missed this one with my busy week! I love it!! Definitely going on the fall menu!

Img_2764 Reply

I had a heck of a week, too. Good thing this comes together so fast.

Img_2764 Reply

I'd love to know how you use it.

Reply

thanksgiving menu inspiration, thanks!

Img_2764 Reply

Thank you!

Summer_2010_1048 Reply

You win for best-named dishes all around!

Img_2764 Reply

LOL!!!!!!! I am seriously laughing hard OUT LOUD!!!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Actually, the headnote's pretty good, too. ;o)

Img_2764 Reply

Thank you AJ!

Img_2764 Reply

I had an email from thirschfeld suggesting a little vanilla bean here. Now that's genius.

Shamrock-medal Reply

OOOO, that would be good!

Shamrock-medal Reply

Genius! You are awesome, boulangere.

Img_2764 Reply

LOL!

Nog Reply

I firmly believe that bourbon should be put in as many dishes (and glasses) as possible! Rock on!

Img_2764 Reply

LOL! Tap your inner rock star.

Copy_of_me Reply

Great way to describe it, b... "zinging" the recipe up and letting it party like a Rock Star!

Img_2764 Reply

Sometimes the words just write themselves.

Img_1958 Reply

Love this! Bourbon makes everything better.

Img_2764 Reply

Thanks, gingerroot.

Me Reply

Bourbon!! YAY!!!

Img_2764 Reply

Why am I not surprised you signed in here? YAY!!!!!

Img_2764 Reply

Seriously, the deep flavor it adds as a counterpart to the spicy notes is sooooooo good.

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

I am going to make this this weekend after my trip to the farmers market, it just sounds so delicious!

Img_2764 Reply

"Side" my **s. I just finished a plateful FOR dinner.

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

LOL! I'm with you on that, its a meal for me too

Img_2764 Reply

The pleasures of cooking and eating for one cannot be overrated.

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

Amen to that!

Img_2764 Reply

Many, many, many years ago I was given as a gift a cookbook The Art of Cooking for Two. I'm seriously considering compiling one titled The Art of Cooking for One.

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

I would love it. Cooking for one can be difficult and adapting recipes so you don't have so many leftovers can be tricky, Sign me up for a copy.

Img_2764 Reply

I'm actually in the throes of organizing a blog, and I think it's going to be oriented around that concept.

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

Fabulous idea, I love it what a brilliant concept.

Img_2764 Reply

Thanks. Would you be willing to be a guinea pig to try out some ideas and recipes?

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

This is a great idea, b! I lived alone for exactly 30 years before my now-husband and I moved in together. I loved to cook and experimented with things all the time, and the biggest challenge I had was rebalancing a recipe to feed just me that was designed to feed a family of 4 or more. A side of it could be entertaining when it's just you doing everything. Probably easy for you with your talents, but it can be a real struggle I found. Very fun, but a struggle nonetheless.

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

I want to add, that cooking just for myself and having a quiet meal with my thoughts or a newspaper were some of my favorite times of the day.

Img_2764 Reply

Make no mistake, when I first moved here from CA, and was totally alone for the first time in a long time, it was no simple feat to create a dinner for one every night, or even to find a reason to do so. But after a while, as life settled down a bit, the question of what to make for dinner became a high point of the day, not the oh s***, what am I gonna do for dinner. But I finally evolved to the point that I began to look forward to feeding all the animals first, then settling down to dinner and a good book.

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

It sounds like you've developed a very nice rhythm for life :-)

Img_2764 Reply

It's a work in progress . . . ; )

Img_2764 Reply

And Suzanne, warm congratulations to you and your "now" husband. Happy cooking!

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

Yum! I really love this. The bourbon, buttermilk, butter and can't forget the veggies. Wow!!

Img_2764 Reply

I love the process of idea to reality with food. This one was simple fun.

Img_2764 Reply

So would you be willing to be a lab rat and test recipes and ideas?

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