Author Notes
Inspired by Food52's latest and Tom Hirschfeld and his sipping tree... The natural spiciness of rutabagas and turnips is tempered a bit by the common russet potato and some soft butter. Then they’re all zinged up with some buttermilk and a kiss of good bourbon. Don't be stingy. We're talking root vegetables partying like rock stars here, so use the good stuff. —boulangere
Test Kitchen Notes
This is a delightful side for any fall dinner party, especially because of the richness of the root vegetables (not to mention the bourbon!). I halved the recipe for my testing and only added 1 ounce of butter to start, but it really did taste much better when I added that second ounce. The texture of the mash becomes smoother and less chunky with more butter, buttermilk, and bourbon, depending on how much you add. This is a nice alternative to the usual potato side, and I would absolutely serve this during the holidays. —graceseaying
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Ingredients
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2
rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
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2
turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
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Sea or kosher salt and pepper, to taste
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2
russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
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2 to 4 ounces
butter
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4 to 8 ounces
buttermilk
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1 to 2 ounces
good bourbon, or more
Directions
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Place cubed rutabagas and turnips into a stainless steel pot and fill with cold water to cover, leaving enough water to add the cubed potatoes after a few minutes. (The first two vegetables are much more dense than the potato.) Add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the cubed potatoes. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes more, until all can be very easily pierced with a paring knife or fork.
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Set a colander in the sink and drain the vegetables. Return them to the pot. Add as much butter as you’re comfortable with, then add a couple of ounces more (for a total of 2 to 4 ounces). It’s going to make the texture really silky, and the flavor will be oh so good. January's resolutions will be here soon enough. Using a hand masher, mash up the vegetables and mash in the butter. Don’t go for perfectly smooth—some lumps of texture are nice.
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Add 4 ounces of buttermilk and 1 ounce of bourbon. Stir to blend well. Taste. Season with some salt and pepper and taste again. Decide if they need to be a bit softer with some more buttermilk or a bit smoother with some more bourbon.
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Serve with something you love to people you love. Cheers!
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