Technically, the way I learned from my French chef instructors at school over 20 years ago was a ratio of 2-1-1. Meaning two part potatoes, one part milk (or cream) and one part butter. This recipe is already my most decadent take on potatoes, and I’m not even going that far. But if you want to go for it, simply increase the butter and half-and-half to 2 cups each.
When choosing potatoes, try to choose potatoes that are similar in size. This will help ensure they cook evenly. If your potatoes vary in size, no worries: Just keep an eye on them throughout the cooking process, pulling potatoes as they reach the point of being fully cooked. And I have learned the hard way: Make sure the potatoes are fully cooked, otherwise it will be difficult to pass them through the food mill.
The reason these potatoes are so luscious and smooth is because we spend a lot of effort removing as much water as possible. This is why we boil them whole as opposed to quartering them. This is also why we spend time stirring them in a hot pan after they’ve gone through the food mill to cook off any water remaining in the potatoes. Because of this, using a high-quality butter (with a higher butterfat and lower water content) is a good idea.
When it comes to green chiles, the choice is about what you love and how much heat you prefer. My love for poblanos is never-ending. Their flavor and amount of heat easily takes the prize. But more important, what chiles do you have? What do you like and how hot do you want it? You could even use pints of frozen green chile — just be sure to defrost, drain and press out as much water as possible before adding it to the cream and butter. How much to add? Trust your judgment and taste as you are warming up the cream mixture to help you along.
The other thing that’s important to mention is the many different ways you can actually make these potatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, it’s OK! You can use a potato masher for the whole process. It might not be as smooth, but it will taste just as good. Another option is to use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. This is easiest to do with hot potatoes. Place the fully cooked and peeled potatoes in your stand mixer and slowly add the cream mixture until it all comes together.
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, similar in size and washed well
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1½ cup cream, half-and-half or whole milk
4 fire-roasted poblanos, seeded, stemmed
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation: In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and season generously with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 40 minutes (the length of cooking time entirely depends on the size of your potatoes). Drain well. Let the potatoes cool just enough so they are safe to touch, then slip off and discard the skins and quarter them.
While the potatoes are cooking, place the butter, half-and-half, poblanos and garlic in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, turn off the heat and carefully blend until smooth. Reserve.
Once the potatoes are peeled and quartered, working in batches, process them through the food mill arranged on top of a medium saucepan. Once the potatoes are milled, place the pot over medium heat. With a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the potatoes for a few minutes, allowing any remaining water to cook off but being careful not to burn them. Turn the heat to low.
Slowly pour in a bit of your poblano cream, whisking into the potatoes until they fully absorb the liquid before pouring in some more. Continue this until all of the cream has been added. This next step is optional, but at this point you could pass the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer or mesh sieve (this will result in the smoothest of smooth potatoes). Taste the potatoes and season them with salt and pepper as needed. Store in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for up to a month.
Marianne Sundquist is a chef and writer based in ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe. Find her on Instagram @marianne__sundquist or email her at marianne@stokli.com. Shop for nourishing goods from the high desert, recipes and information about private events at .
