Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

I only heard of brown butter once I started watching cooking shows - namely Chef Michael Smith's show - my favourite one! Brown butter is one of the most delicious things ever. You may never go back to plain ol' melted butter again. To make it, all you do is melt butter, then heat it further until the milk solids get all nice and brown. It has a very rich, toasty taste that is so much fuller than melted butter. It's a must-try!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of salted butter
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 large baking potatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry the potatoes. Cook them until they are soft, either by cutting them up into medium-sized pieces and steaming them (my method of preference because it keeps all the nutrients in the potatoes rather than soaking them away), or by boiling the potatoes. I like to cook the potatoes with the skin on because I like the texture of mashed potatoes better that way. Set the potatoes aside.

Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Keep a close eye on the butter for the next part - it can heat up pretty fast and you don't want it to burn. Keep heating the butter until it begins to foam, then swirl the butter in the pot so you can see the colour of the butter through the foam. Be careful! 

Heat the butter until it becomes a rich, medium brown colour. You will also be able to tell when it's done because the butter will smell rich and nutty. Once it turns toasty brown, pour the milk in right away to keep the butter from cooking further and burning. Heat the mixture back up until it begins to bubble, then remove from the heat.

Add the brown butter to the potatoes and mash the potatoes until they reach the consistency you prefer. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like, some herbs, garlic or cheddar would be a delicious addition too.

I love these mashed potatoes because they taste so good, even though the only things that go into them are butter and milk. I've had mashed potatoes made with half and half or sour cream, and these taste just as rich. The best part is that they're so simple to make! If you don't want to use as much butter, you can cut it down and substitute more milk or some chicken broth.

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