Pecorino-Romano and Fried Shallot Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

3 large red skinned potatoes

1/4 cup of heavy cream

2 tbs of salted butter

1/2 tbs of white pepper

1/4 cup of shallots, thinly sliced

Canola oil

1 tsp of sea salt

1/4 cup of Pecorino- Romano cheese, grated

This is how golden, crunchy and delicious your shallots should be. They should be floating in a cloud of creamy, dreamy and cheesy mashed potatoes. Don't blow it.

This is how golden, crunchy and delicious your shallots should be. They should be floating in a cloud of creamy, dreamy and cheesy mashed potatoes. Don't blow it.

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, pour about 3/4-1 inch of canola oil, and heat on medium-high heat

2. Add the shallots and fry for 30 seconds to minute, or until they're golden brown. Work quickly and pay attention; they will go from golden brown, crunchy and delicious to burnt in about 10 seconds.

3. Remove the fried shallots, and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with the sea salt, and set aside

4. Peel and cube the potatoes, and add to a pot of boiling salted water.

5. When the potatoes are fork tender (aka you poke them with a fork and the fork doesn't fight back), strain the water from the pot and mash the potatoes.

6. Heat the cream and butter until the butter is melted (I usually pop mine in the microwave in a coffee mug for about 1 minute), and add to the potatoes. Stir this into the mashed potatoes until they're creamy and delicious.

7. Add the white pepper (I use white because I don't want black flecks in the potatoes, but black is really fine).

8. Stir in the Pecorino-Romano, and the fried shallots. Taste the potatoes. Salty pecorino-romano, salted butter and salted shallots should give you plenty of salt, but I know how y'all do.

9. Serve immediately! Nobody likes cold mashed potatoes. Gross.

Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients

  • 6 cups of chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup of white wine
  • 1 big clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 ½ cups of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of Arborio rice
  • 2 tbs of olive oil
  • 2 tbs of butter

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, heat the chicken stock on medium heat until it’s hot, but not boiling.
  2. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat, and add the shallots and garlic. Cook them until fragrant, but not browned!
  3. Add the rice, and stir for about 2 minutes. Each grain of rice should be coated in the olive oil, and should smell toasty and delicious.
  4. Add the white wine and stir, then add ½ cup of the hot stock. Stir CONSTANTLY, but slowly until the stock is absorbed, then add the next ½ cup. Repeat until all of the stock is absorbed, and the rice looks creamy and delicious. The constant stirring is a labor of love, but worth it. Because Arborio rice is super starchy, constant stirring creates a creamy liquid around the rice as it cooks.
  5. Stir in the butter, and the cheese. Serve IMMEDIATELY.