LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2024

HOT POTATOES

The New Potato Salad While comforting and delicious, old-school potato salad has fallen out of favour in recent years. Modern cooks have taken a lighter approach, allowing spuds to share the spotlight alongside other seasonal ingredients with more visually appealing presentations. Take our Potato & Beet Salad with Radicchio, Feta & Lemony Dressing (p. 131). Roasted fingerlings are paired with sweet beets, bitter radicchio and tangy feta, and instead of tossing it together, it’s composed on a platter, drizzled with dressing and sprinkled with sunflower seeds and tar ragon—to be mixed just before eating. It’s a new wave potato salad with layers of flavours and tex tures, and pretty enough for the ’Gram.

DO THE MASH Here are five key steps to perfect mashed potatoes every time.

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It’s essential to use a starchy potato (like russet or Yukon Gold), which will absorb max imum butter and milk, yielding rich, fluffy results.

Boil potatoes in gener ously salted water, but just until they’re done. Overcooked spuds won’t be able to take on as much dairy.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and then return them to the hot pot off the burner for a few minutes. The residual heat will steam off any excess water.

For silky-smooth mash, use a food mill, or a ricer, which is like a giant garlic press. If you don’t mind a few lumps, a potato masher is fine.

To ensure a perfect emulsion, make sure both the potatoes and dairy are hot before combining. If not, you’ll end up with gluey mash.

MASHED POTATOES: JAMES TSE

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