Fennel and Sweet Onion Whipped Potatoes

RECIPE

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

TOOLS

• chef knife
• large stock pot
• colander
• dish towel
• hand blender, or potato ricer, potato masher (hand blender is best, because you’ll be mixing for a while!)
• skillet
• wooden spoon

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (or Idaho potatoes, you want a really starchy potato)

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp of olive oil

1 fennel bulb , thinly sliced (with green portions and core removed)

1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 tbsp of salt, and more to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 tsp of chives (optional)

METHOD

1. Wash potatoes carefully and cut potatoes into quarters (I like to leave the skin on).
2. Place potatoes into a large stock pot and cover potatoes with cold water (about 2 inches above potatoes).
3. Add 1 tbsp of salt to water, and bring potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Cook potatoes for about 10 minutes (or until they can be pierced easily with a knife).
5. Once potatoes are cooked, drain potatoes using a colander and then place a towel over the potatoes (let sit for at least five minutes).
6. While potatoes are resting, heat a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat and add sliced fennel and onion.
7. Cook fennel and onion until translucent then remove from heat.
8. Pour potatoes back into the stock pot and add butter, milk and heavy cream to the pot, and turn on heat to low.
9. Once butter is melted, blend or mix the the potato mixture until smooth.
10. Add nutmeg, fennel and onion, and sour cream stirring until combined.
11. Add salt and pepper to taste (potatoes usually require a lot of salt to perk up, so it’s ok if you need to add a lot. It’s a special occasion!)
12. Blend/mix potatoes until ingredients take on a whipped texture.
13. Garnish with chives (optional).

Serve hot. Serves 6 – 8 people.