Colombe St-Pierre’s Mashed Potatoes with Parsley Oil

Preparation

• Parsley Oil

  • In a pot of salted boiling water, blanch the parsley for 45 seconds. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain the parsley well and pat very dry with a clean dishcloth.
  • On a work surface, coarsely chop the parsley and transfer to a blender. Add the oil and purée until smooth. Strain through a sieve lined with a double layer of paper towels set over a bowl for about 15 minutes, without stirring. Compost the residue. The parsley oil will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

• Mashed Potatoes

  • In a pot, bring the cream to a boil. Let reduce by half. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, in another pot, place the potatoes, lemon wedges and thyme sprig. Cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and fall apart when poked with a fork. Drain the potatoes. Remove and compost the lemon wedges and thyme sprig. Return the potatoes to the pot.
  • Return the pot to low heat. Using a potato masher, purée the potatoes, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to dry them out. Gradually add the reduced cream, stirring with a spatula until the potatoes are smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
  • Gradually stir ½ cup (125 ml) of the parsley oil into the mashed potatoes. The potatoes are ready as soon as they come away from the sides of the pot. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with Lemon Chicken.