Truffled Mashed Potatoes

Truffles are in season for a short time in the Fall. The delicate truffles are in high demand and can command extremely high prices. Truffle-infused oil offers a taste of truffles year-round. Just a few drops of truffle oil can take a boring dish to a rich sensation in seconds. My Truffled Mashed Potatoes are super easy to make and will bring a soft earthy elegance to your dinner plate.

A favorite local restaurant once offered an entree special of homemade fettucini with a butter sauce and shaved fresh white truffles. It was a very simple dish with just a few ingredients yet pretty pricey. And, in my opinion, quite worth the fee.

Truffles enhance many dishes. Grilled meats, pastas, and salads can be taken up a notch with just a few shavings of fresh truffle. Truffle oil is easy to find and should be kept in your refrigerator when opened.

Other than mixing a few drops into mayonnaise as a decadent truffle aioli dipping sauce for French fries, my favorite way to use the truffle oil is to perfume mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds, to be exact. Just a little butter, cream, and truffle oil will take otherwise boring mashed potatoes to a new level.

Start out with some washed and peeled Yukon Gold potatoes. Quarter the potatoes. Put them in a pot that is large enough to hold the potatoes and for water to cover them by at least an inch. If in doubt, use a larger pot instead of a smaller one. That way, the water won’t bubble out of the pot and onto your stove burners. Add a pinch of salt.

Cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender but not completely falling apart. Drain the potatoes. Mash them with a potato masher. Whisk in the butter and cream. Once the potatoes are a nice light and fluffy consistency, whisk in the truffle oil.

Keep the truffled mashed potatoes warm until ready to serve. Offer as a side dish with a grilled steak or chicken breast. I love to spruce up a basic weeknight meatloaf meal with truffled mashed potatoes!

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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….

Truffled Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into quarters
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c heavy cream (more or less depending on your favorite consistency of mashed potato)
1 T white truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Put the washed, peeled, and quartered potatoes in a pot that is large enough to hold the potatoes with some room at the top.
2. Add water to the pot and cover the potatoes by at least an inch. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Heat the potatoes to boiling, and reduce heat. Cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender but not completely falling apart, about 20 minutes or more. Drain the potatoes well and leave them in the pot.
4. Put the pot of drained potatoes back on the stove. Over high heat, try to evaporate all of the water, lightly stirring the potatoes as the water evaporates, but not browning the potatoes. This is my secret to fluffy (and not gummy) potatoes. Remove the pot from the heat.
5. In the pot, mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
6. Whisk in the butter and then the cream. Do not overmix, just whisk until combined. I use a whisk instead of a spoon to add some air to the potato mixture.
7. Once the potatoes are a nice light and fluffy consistency, whisk in the truffle oil.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Keep warm until ready to serve!

Serves 4 – 6 depending on serving size. Serve alongside your favorite meat or poultry. These truffled mashed potatoes go extremely well with a grilled steak.

Variations: Use red potatoes, russets, or any other favorite potato that’s good for mashing. Leave some skin on the potatoes for a “rustic” look. If you are watching your fat intake, cut back on the butter and cream and just use the truffle oil. Instead of truffle oil, and to increase the decadence (and cost) of this side dish, you can stir in minced fresh truffles.

Order some truffle oil for yourself! Amazon.com has some good brands and good deals:

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