Boiled Potatoes

CASE: Create the perfect counter-point to coq au vin.

BOILED POTATOES
5 pounds medium-size or large Yukon gold potatoes
5 garlic heads, halved
5 bay leaves
3 T black peppercorns
1 cup white wine
1/2 stick butter

Put potatoes with the garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns into a big pot with unsalted cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer til nice and soft. Drain, then slice up to big chunks, 3x bite size. Quickly pour the white wine over, and stir gently or toss until it’s all soaked up. Then top with butter. Season with salt and pepper. The potatoes should break up a little bit, and have mashed bits. It should NOT look like chunky mashed potatoes, so be gentle with them. Use a plastic spatula.

NOTE: Brandon was responsible for making the boiled potatoes. He did such a great job! Perfect. Just like him! He was concerned for a little bit that the potatoes wouldn’t soak up all the wine. Just be patient and keep gently tossing the potatoes. Also, we kept the skin on, in keeping with the rustic nature of this dish. BTW, I just got him the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook and asked him to make me a meal from it. I can’t wait! (Hey, at least I didn’t give him a Charlie Trotter cookbook!) So I’ll keep you posted on what he makes me. Oh, and this recipe was a compilation of several “ideas.” I haven’t seen a recipe like this out there, so you saw it here first!

VERDICT: GUILTY! OF BEING DELICIOUS! (Honestly, the white wine boiled potatoes are the ultimate counterpoint to the coq au vin. They soak up that oogy googy sauce and yet retain a brightness that’s lacking in dish, as is supposed to. It lends a nice freshness, seriously, to the coq au vin. I am ALL about these boiled potatoes! Brandon said his favorite thing I’ve ever made him are blue cheese soufflés, but that this was his next favorite!)