Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the simmering begins, cook for about 20 minutes; the potatoes are ready when a paring knife or fork can be inserted into the center with little resistance. Drain the potatoes, then wipe the pot dry.

As soon as you can hold them (you can use potholders), peel the potatoes. The skins should come right off with a paring knife. Run the potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl or mash them with a masher until smooth.

In the empty potato pot, melt the butter over medium heat and continue cooking once it has melted, stirring almost constantly, until brown bits form around the edges and bottom and it smells nutty. Pour the hot butter and any browned bits over the potatoes. Add the buttermilk to the pot and warm it gently (so it doesn’t cool down the potatoes when you add it). Pour this over the potatoes too. Add 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Serves 6.

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman (Knopf, 2012)