Buttermilkmashedspudswithgarlicandleeks Food

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat.
• Add the flour to a large bowl. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the shortening into the flour until the crumbs are the size of large peas.
• Slowly pour in the buttermilk, then mix with your hands until the mixture starts to form a dough. Add buttermilk if it feels too dry. As soon as the dough comes together, transfer to a floured work surface. Press the dough into a square and fold it over itself to create layers, using additional flour to keep the dough from sticking. Shape into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Use a 2- to 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits, rerolling the scraps to use all the dough.
• Take the skillet out of the oven and add 2 tablespoons melted butter. Place the biscuits in the skillet, then lightly brush the tops with the remaining butter.
• Bake until lightly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.

GARLICKY MASHED POTATOES WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice the heads of garlic in half crosswise and drizzle with the oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast until creamy, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a small bowl and mash lightly with a fork.
• Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons water in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring just to a simmer and simmer the potatoes, uncovered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain.
• Peel the potatoes and return them to the pot (if desired, pass them through a ricer or food mill after peeling). Add the leeks. Mash the potatoes and leeks with the milk and butter using a fork or potato masher. Stir in the roasted garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; season with pepper.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Rub 2 tablespoons of the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until completely absorbed. Work the remaining 5 tablespoons of cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until pea-sized bits of butter remain. Use a rubber spatula to stir the buttermilk into the flour until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough.
• Dust a cutting board or work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Fold dough in thirds, like a letter, and then pat into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut biscuits out using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter and put on the prepared baking sheet. Press together the remaining scraps of dough and cut out more biscuits. Brush the biscuit tops with buttermilk.
• Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the top third off the head of garlic. Place on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves and some kosher salt and pepper, then place the top back on the garlic. Wrap in the foil and roast until the garlic is brown and very soft, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 15 minutes. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the hot chicken broth. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin into a small bowl, drizzling in any olive oil from the foil. Mash the garlic smooth with a fork. Add the garlic to the potatoes and mash until smooth using an immersion blender fitted with the whisk attachment. Add more broth as needed. Once smooth, add three-quarters of the chives and some sea salt and black pepper, then mix through.
• Tip into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining chives.

BUTTERMILK MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
• Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.
• As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disk/blade over a heatproof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut butter in with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles bread crumbs. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
• Put biscuit dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle a bit of extra flour on top. Cut out 16 biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining buttermilk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.

CREAMY LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Wash sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out and drain well in a colander.
• Cook leeks, onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper in 4 tablespoons butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, then add to onion mixture along with wine, stock, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and simmer soup, uncovered, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and keep soup at a bare simmer.
• Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook roux, whisking, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups simmering stock (from soup), whisking vigorously (mixture will be thick), then whisk mixture into remaining soup and return to a simmer, whisking.
• Blend soup in 4 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), about 1 minute per batch, transferring to a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Reheat if necessary, then season with salt and pepper.
• Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it almost forms soft peaks. Serve soup topped with cream.

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
• Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
• If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
• Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
• If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
• Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
• Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
• You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
• Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
• If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
• Do not overbake.
• Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
• You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
• Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.