Saffron Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 5 minutes. Cook time 15 minutes. 

This recipe elevates a perennial favorite into something close to gourmet status.

A good start would be to decide on which kind of potato to use and at the risk of  incurring the wrath of many, I like the natural creamy, buttery flavor of Yukon Golds available in the US. There are those who might prefer the more robust Russet variety ( that I think are better suited for roasting) and I have heard that red skinned Pontiacs or Lasodas are sometimes used in England. If you can get your hands on Cyprus potatoes you have truly struck gold. The country’s deep red clay soil and mediterranean climate gives their crop a unique richness that I have not tasted anywhere else.

Potatoes like all tubers have a rather delicate cell structure and zapping in them in a food processor breaks down their natural texture, releases starch and you can end up with a glutinous, sticky result that will need some doctoring with milk and cream. Best to use a potato masher  that does the job while blending other ingredients and you can choose to leave a few chunky bits for added texture.

And now for the ingredient that elevates this humble side dish to gourmet status. Saffron.

I came across the idea of adding saffron to mashed potatoes while watching an episode of “Pie In The Sky”, an English TV  series about a country detective with a passion for food who runs his little restaurant all the while solving crimes. Once I tried it I was hooked by the rich golden hue, the delicate orange strands and the subtle, heady scent that saffron adds to billowy clouds of creamy mashed potatoes.

Inspiration can come from anywhere!

What you need (for two)

Four medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes
3tbs unsalted butter
A generous pinch of Saffron
A tablespoon of unsalted butter
Salt to taste

What to do

1.  In a small container or regular drinking glass add a generous pinch of saffron to 1tbs of boiling hot water and set aside to soak.
2. Peel, cut up and boil the potatoes in slightly salted water for about 10 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce the potatoes.
3. Scoop a cupful of boiled water ( to use later) and drain the rest.
4. Mash the potatoes in an up and down motion until fluffy and smooth. It’s Ok to leave a few small chunks to bite on but keep mashing if you want to get rid of them all.
5. Add a tbsp butter and blend in well. Keep adding the remaining butter until all of it has dissolved.
6. Drizzle saffron and water and blend in well.
7. Depending on how firm you like your mashed potatoes you can add a little of the hot water you scooped up to get to your preferred consistency.
8. Salt to taste and serve.

Variations, rants and other thoughts

Instead of saffron you may want to add a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, oregano or thyme. Makes a pleasant change to that habit that I dislike intensely and that is adding parmesan cheese to mashed potatoes.

Why on earth would anyone want to do that to the noble potato. Come to think of it why would anyone want to add parmesan to anything other than what it was intended for – pasta. I recently dined at one of Washington DC’s “refined” restaurants and ordered grilled baby lamb ribs. Would you believe they served each baby rib with a shaving of melted parmesan cheese? I sent it right back. And what about parmesan cheese on salads? Or any cheese for that matter? Why would anyone want to drown the subtle taste of fresh vegetables? The exception of course is feta cheese in greek salad which is a part of the authentic recipe.

If you must play around with the natural creamy texture of a potatoe, one ingredient I have tried and highly recommend is to blend in half a cupful of yoghurt to the mash potatoes. Healthier and lighter than sour cream. Salt to taste. 

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