Potato Brioche
Gourmet Dec. 1985
Makes 16 serving 8
3 1/4 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks
white pepper to taste
2 teaspoons milk
16 well-buttered miniature brioche molds measuring 2 1/2 inces across the top, chilled. ( I buttered with unsalted butter)
In a kettle cover the potatoes with cold water and bring the water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain the potatoes and force them through a ricer into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the butter, 3 of the egg yolks, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the white pepper and let the mixture cool for at lest 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Transfer 1/4 cup of the potato mixture to a lightly floured surface, with lightly floured hands pinch off a piece about the size of a marble, and reserve it. With lightly floured hands roll the larger portion into a smooth ball and drop it gently into one of the chilled molds. Make a shallow indentation gently in the top of the ball, form the reserved marble-sized portion into a smooth ball, and fit it gently into the indentation. Make 15 more “brioches” in the same manner. In a small bowl combine the egg yolk with the milk and brush the egg wash gently over the brioches, being careful not to let it drip down into the molds. Bake the brioches on a baking sheet in a preheated 425 oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let the brioches cool on a rack in the molds for 20 minutes. Loosen the edges with a metal skewer if necessary and invert the brioches carefully to remove them from the molds.
The potato brioches may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated on a baking sheet in a 400 oven for 15 minutes or until they are heated through.
Refined Palate 