Pommes Puree with Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Chives
Who does not like a good mashed potato? Pommes Puree with Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Chives is creamy, delicious, cheesy, and mouthwatering. The title says it all. Mashed and creamy potatoes mixed with parmesan cheese and fresh chives, a great comfort food for this season.
It is easy to create a side dish of mashed potatoes and serve it with Red Wine Braised Oxtail. Making this dish does not require much effort. Boil the potatoes, add cheese and chives and other ingredients and you’re done. But, hold on! What if I told you that you could actually change the taste? Yes, you can!
The taste of a dish can be changed easily. Ingredients change taste. Did you know that a wheel of cheese and pre-grated cheese taste differently? If you cut out a piece of a cheese wheel, and if not properly handled and stored, the wedge will quickly lose its taste and texture.
If you didn’t know already, pre-grated cheese from a cheese wheel taste better, richer than pre-grated packaged cheese. According to a test conducted by an independent laboratory and as stated in Today.com, some pre-packaged grated cheese contains too much of a plant fiber called cellulose.
Cellulose is a common anti-clumping agent made from wood pulp. Don’t just trust any brand, research your ingredients and shop wisely. The cellulose used in pre-grated cheese is apparently legal in the US and approved by the FDA. It is a powdered plant fiber and and anti-clumping ingredient for pre-grated cheese. I guess we have been eating plant for a while!
Cheese is not the only ingredient that can change the taste of this dish. The type of potatoes you use to make mashed potatoes makes a difference. This website, Potato Goodness covers a lot of varieties of potatoes – take a look at it.
The Pommes Puree with Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Chives was inspired by two recipes found in The Food & Wine Cookbook 2016. The original recipes are simple, creamy and delicious. I like the idea of adding fresh thyme and garlic to the boiling water of the potatoes. I love my idea of adding fresh chives to boost the taste at the end. Chives is a soft and chewable herb with a mild onion tangy taste. Just enough to add a marvelous aroma to boost your appetite.
On a lovely Sunday afternoon, a beautiful dinner with all the flavors from the earth is what brings us closer together.
Enjoy,
Reference:
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/what-is-cellulose.shtml
http://www.today.com/food/how-make-sure-you-re-getting-real-parmesan-cheese-t74191
Pommes puree with Parmesan and Fresh Chives
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- 1 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream warmed
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and season generously with salt. Add the thyme and garlic, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain well. Let the potatoes cool, then slip off and discard the skins.
- Using a ricer and working over a large bowl, rice the potatoes with half of the butter. Strain through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, pushing them through with a sturdy spatula. Mix the remaining butter and the heavy cream.
- If you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher and mash well. Soften sticks of butter and mix with mashed potato. Gradually blend with cheese and warm heavy cream until creamy. Sprinkle chives and stir to mix.
- Season with additional salt if preferred and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
