Christmas dinner mashed potato tip

Okay it's Christmas morning and we're making a simple dinner; Prime Rib, Wellington packets in Filo, Mashed Potatoes with a Red Wine Pan gravy, Green Beans w/ Almonds and assorted cheese fruit, candied nuts, spinach dip...

My Christmas gift to you is in the mashed potatoes... how do you get them perfect?

First what potato? If you are using Russet or "Baking Potatoes," that is fine, just peel them before boiling. If using White Rose, Red or Yukon Gold potatoes you can leave the skin on but it gives a more "rustic " finish. Now, here's the trick, with the white, red, or gold, potatoes, unless very large, do not cut them into pieces... and if large, 4 inches or more, just quarter. If cut into little pieces the surface area allows more starch to be worked into the final product... i.e., gummy mashed potatoes. And with skin removal, you can peel them before hand, but I just boil and then when fork tender, I remove them from the cooking water and then carefully (don't burn your fingers) using a kitchen towel apply thumb pressure and the skin comes right off!

Christmas dinner 2010

Next, what do you add? Heavy Cream, butter, salt and pepper, that's it. For a lower calorie version you can add a little of the cooking water and milk to omit the cream but you take a substantial flavor hit!

Well I've got cooking to do and people to love. My hope is that you have the same, after all the rest is just decoration!

Kathy's Cheese Trays

Merry Christmas

Mad Coyote Joe

A Mad Coyote Christmas

A Mad Coyote Christmas

Christmas this year was a hoot. My butchers John and Dean at Bashas’ in Carefree cut me out a nice 6 bone Standing Rib Roast. We try to avoid turkey on both Thanksgiving and Christmas because Kathy has usually been cooking up to 8o turkey dinners… some years more and so we go a different direction.

I rubbed the roast with olive oil, black pepper, Kosher salt and fresh thyme.

I stuff a few cloves of garlic into the cut between the roast and the bones and a tuck a few sprigs of rosemary under the strings the butcher tied the roast with.

I used my new iron roasting pan that I got at a garage sale for $10. I pre heated the oven to 410°f. I popped the roast into the hot oven for about 45 minutes, it was nice and brown, so I reduced the temperature to 375°f for another hour and a half once the roast reached 118°f at the thickest part of the roast I took it out and let it rest for 20 minutes.

It was perfect.

I roasted a few chiles and peeled them and made a quick calabacitas along with some oven roasted tri-color potatoes and baby carrots

We also hadAspargus and creamed Horseradish, a cheese plate and Pecan Pie.

Our kids came by along with my mom. We feasted and drank some good zinfindel and all in all had a great night. If you have any questions on these or any other recipes just ask. Have a great New Year.

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe