Recipe

Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes with Buttery Scallions

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Photo by Savorykitchen

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Mashed Potatoes
Chef
Savorykitchen's Notes: This is a take on champ, a traditional Irish dish of potatoes mashed with scallions or spring onions. I use buttermilk and Yukon Gold potatoes to give the potatoes a lot of flavor without...
This is a take on champ, a traditional Irish dish of potatoes mashed with scallions or spring onions. I use buttermilk and Yukon Gold potatoes to give the potatoes a lot of flavor without tons of butter. To mash the spuds, I strongly recommend a food mill. The mill yields fluffy, lump-free potatoes, and even better, it will separate most of the skins from the potatoes, so you don’t need to peel them!

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Wash the potatoes, peel them if desired, and cut into large chunks. Place them into a pot of well-salted cold water (enough water to cover by 1”) and bring to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
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Slice the scallions (the green and white) into thin rings. While the potatoes are cooking, in a small skillet, melt 2 ounces of butter. When melted, add the scallions to the skillet and stir until they have wilted and are a little softened. Set aside and keep warm.
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Drain the potatoes and mash using a food mill, potato ricer, hand blender or your chosen implement of destruction. I like smooth, silky mashed potatoes, but if you like ‘em lumpy, I won’t judge.
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Add the remaining 2 ounces of butter to the potatoes and stir in. Add buttermilk until the potatoes are light and not too thick. Again, this is partly a personal choice. For me, 1 cup of buttermilk is the maximum needed to get the right blend of richness and lightness. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
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Stir about half of the scallion mixture into the potatoes. Turn the potatoes into a warmed serving dish and top with the remaining scallions.
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