Let me explain first how to make this and then, once you have an idea of what I am talking about, what you can do with it. You need a loaf pan or terrine. The recipe requires a firm waxy potato; it’s the starch that will act as the bonding agent in this dish.
I just found another website that is also working its way through Mr. Henderson’s cookbook. Being Fergus Henderson is written by Francisco Migoya, a former pastry chef for The French Laundry and various other high end restaurants in New York. Give it a look!
The meal for Brent and Harmony continues with this recipe for pressed potatoes. I served it with the anchovy dressing I posted about last week. Mr. Henderson claims that it’s a perfect pairing for salty, oily things–like the dressing.
I started off peeling these Yukon Gold potatoes, which are a fantastic marriage between dry, fluffy russet potatoes and other moist, waxy varieties.
Once peeled, the potatoes were boiled in salted water until they were properly soft, but not so much that they were about to fall apart. After the spuds had cooled down enough they were sliced lengthwise and set aside.
Finally, time for the assembly! At the bottom of my loaf pan I laid down a layer of the potato slices. On top of each slice I sprinkled copious amounts of salt and pepper, and a scant amount of capers. Then another layer of potatoes were placed on top of the last, and more seasoning and capers followed. I continued the process until the entire pan was filled, as you can see above.
A bit of saran wrap went over the loaf pan, along with a piece of cardboard and a box of kosher salt to equally distribute the pressure of the weights. The whole thing went into the fridge overnight.
The next day I removed the weights and cut off a thin slice of the potato terrine. While it’s not terribly much to look at, it was tasty. The capers added a nice touch of briny flavor to the otherwise uniform character of boiled potatoes. When I manage to find some eels for the Eel, Bacon, and Prune Stew dish Mr. Henderson recommends using this recipe as the base, so expect to see it again!
One down, seventy two to go.
I think it’s very pretty, simple, classy (I think Mr H would approve)
I have had this bookmarked for yonks you have given me the nudge I needed.
72 more – good, looking forward to them
Thank you so much Rachel. You’re right there, helping push me up the hill!
Hey Ryan!
I’m working my way thru your blogojavich backwards, and one thing bothers me.
Let me preface this by saying I recently picked up a copy of The Book, and thought until your blog that most of the recipes were either cost-or-skill prohibitive. I’m looking forward to making a few of the choicer entries myself.
So, to that niggling bit of criticism. At the end of your entries, you write “one down, (y) to go,” (y) being the remaining recipes in the book. But surely it should be “(x) down, (y) to go,” where (x) is the number of recipes you’ve satisfactorily completed thus far!
I’m available for a swirlie, purple nurple, and atomic wedgie at your earliest convenience,
-Jason.