Marcia Hassel's recipes

Boiled-and-buttered red potatoes can be boring; all the flavor remains on the outsides of the potatoes, leaving the interiors bland. To fix that, we simmered 2 pounds of red potatoes until they were completely tender, drained them, and then melted some butter in the empty pot before adding minced garlic, chopped fresh chives, chopped fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. We then added the still-steaming potatoes, lightly pressed each with the back of a spoon until it broke apart, and gently stirred the potatoes with the buttery herb mixture to ensure that it worked its way into all the nooks and crannies (and every bite) BE SURE TO USE SMALL RED POTATOES, MEASURING 1-2 INCHES IN DIAMETER.  USE A GENTLE HAND WHEN CRUSHING THE POTATOES. 2 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled 1/2 t table salt, plus salt for cooking 6 T unsalted butter 1 garlic clover, minced 2 T minced fresh chives 2 T minced fresh parsley 1/4 t. pepper 1.  Place potatoes and 2 T salt in Dutch oven and co...

We’ve all had not-worth-the-calories scalloped potatoes, the kind that take two hours to roast and still emerge unevenly tender, with a sauce that’s more gloppy than creamy. Bridget Lancaster, Julia Davison and the rest of their crew at America’s Test Kitchen know exactly what we’re talking about here. They’ve experienced it, too. So now they’re sharing a few tricks — and a recipe — for making the ultimate holiday side. First, Lancaster and Davison say, use russet potatoes and slice them with a food processor for uniform potato slices that are 1/8-inch thick. Any thicker and they’ll slip and slide when you serve them; thinner and you end up with mush. Second, don’t use flour to thicken the sauce — use a mixture of heavy cream and whole milk, amped up with onions, garlic and fresh thyme. And third, simmer the potato slices in the cream mixture before they see the inside of a baking dish, and you’ll have a gratin that roasts to perfection in 20 minutes flat. Holi...