Potato Madeleines

[maggiethecat]

We have desperately trying to purge Stuff to make room for more Stuff. Grabbed "The Silver Palate Cookbook" from the shelf, deciding it might be a good candidate for The Purple Hearts. First page I flipped open included a couple of good ideas. Oh well, back to the shelf.

Does anyone else have a stack of "The Pleasures of Cooking" magazine, published by Cuisinart, Carl Sontheimer Publisher? If you do, you are admitting to une certaine age. His Handsomeness thought they might be candidates for the garbage until he flipped open a copy of the September/October 1985 issue. (I was wearing my hair in pigtails then.)

POTATO MADELEINES

He made them tonight to go with the pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts gratinee. Go pull out those madeleine pans you haven't used in yonks.

Make garlicky mashed potatoes and throw in an egg. You have previously buttered the madeleine pans and pressed a thin layer of buttery fine breadcrumbs therein. Stick in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Press the potatoes (one pound makes twelve) in little humps in each madeleine mold. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 400 until puffy and browned...about 25 minutes.

Crispy, buttery, garlicky and cute as all get out.

[Mr. Toast]

I have almost the complete set of Pleasures of Cooking. I'm missing some of the early issues, when they were a smaller size. I only started subscribing around the fifth year but I ordered back issues of everything that was still in print and got a few more from my mother. When my house caught fire and partially burned back in 1988 I threw out a garbage can full of sooty cookbooks but kept PoC. Some of the covers are still blackish today but I have a lot of old favorite recipes in there. As recently as last week I picked one up and found a new recipe to try.

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

Pleasures of Cooking was easily the greatest food magazine ever. Lots of recipes from top restaurateurs and other authorities and they were (a) creative (b) fabulous and © they worked and were often not arduous.

I'm still using recipes such as Girardet's Chicken with morels and Rostaing's Filet of beef in mustard sauce and Dumaine's Pommes de terre Byron (via Lydie Marshall) all the time.

[guajolote]

I made these 3 months ago when you posted this Maggie. I don't have madeleine pans so I put them in a muffin pan. They were fantastic. I'll think I'll make them for Easter.

[maggiethecat]

Pleasures of Cooking was easily the greatest food magazine ever.

Claude:

Yes. I'm glad to get some affirmation here. Great recipes, great food writing, great photography, tremendous creativity.

g.: I have to take a side dish at Easter. Thanks for reminding me that this could...would!..be a winner.

[Marlene]

We have desperately trying to purge Stuff to make room for more Stuff.  Grabbed "The Silver Palate Cookbook" from the shelf, deciding it might be a good candidate for The Purple Hearts.  First page I flipped open included a couple of good ideas.  Oh well, back to the shelf.

Does anyone else have a stack of "The Pleasures of Cooking" magazine, published by Cuisinart, Carl Sontheimer Publisher?  If you do, you are admitting to une certaine age.  His Handsomeness thought they might be candidates for the garbage until he flipped open a copy of the September/October 1985 issue.  (I was wearing my hair in pigtails then.)

POTATO MADELEINES

He made them tonight to go with the pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts gratinee.  Go pull out those madeleine pans you haven't used in yonks.

Make garlicky mashed potatoes and throw in an egg.  You have previously buttered the madeleine pans and pressed a thin layer of buttery fine breadcrumbs therein.  Stick in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Press the potatoes (one pound makes twelve) in little humps in each madeleine mold.  Drizzle with butter.  Bake at 400 until puffy and browned...about 25 minutes.

Crispy, buttery, garlicky and cute as all get out.

←

I now own a madeleine pan. These will be perfect with the Crown Roast of Pork I'm thinking of for tomorrow's dinner. Can I make the molds ahead and refridgerate then bake?

[takomabaker]

In reference to you comment about not being able to get rid of your Silver Palate cookbook... me either. It was one of my first cookbooks. I was in college and living in a dorm with only a shared "kitchenette" on my floor. I used to flip through it and mark recipes for "some day" in anticipation of graduation and a real kitchen. Unfortunately, I was a theatre major and my first kitchen was in a group home with eight other company members who were all vegetarians. And we worked from about 10 AM until well after midnight every day but Monday so we didn't cook much anyway.

Now that I have my own little house with an equity loan payment for my kitchen remodeling and three floor-to-ceiling Ikea bookshelves full of cookbooks I haven't thought about my Silver Palate cookbook in years. You've inspired me to pull it down and take a look at those dog-eared pages again.

[halloweencat]

ok. i must make these for tonight.

but ---

can anyone point me to a good recepie for garlcky mashed potatoes? my repetoire is exceedingly small. that dish may be simple (garlic mashed potatoes), but i haven't cooked it before.

many thanks in advance.

cheers :)

hc

[halloweencat]

well, i did find this...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/14519

so if no one winds up personally recommending a great recipie, i will go with that.

cheers :)

hc

[Marlene]

This one sounds great to me actually. Although I'd have to keep my family away from the roasted garlic so I could use it in the potatoes. Let me know how yours turns out, maybe I'll try mine that way!

[Luckylies]

hmmmmm silver palate cookbook. Yeah, right now I'm thinking I'll never get rid of anything Silver Palate...I'm working for one of the authors intermittently...Silver Palate forever, dudes.

try the lamb riblets..they're goooooood.

this thread is so funny, I dont know if I was even alive when it came out, to tell the truth...

dont tell anybody....

[maggiethecat]

Oh, wow -- a delightful, nostalgic blast from the past. Yes, Marlene, I think the pans would be even better prepared ahead and chilled until ready. And I love roasted garlic as an addition to mashed potatoes, but I must confess to taking the easy way out on occasion: I just throw a few peeled garlic cloves into the potaotes and boiling water and press the whole mess through the food mill into a waiting saucepan holding warmed milk, butter and salt and pepper.

I have just considered the great new silicone molds for madeleines, which I believe will make every madeleine baker's life easier; it can be tough to nudge the cookies from the French tinned steel tins I bought before you were born, luckylies. But I think the old metal tins will be much better for this application, producing a crispier item.

[Marlene]

Oh, wow -- a delightful, nostalgic blast from the past.  Yes, Marlene, I think the pans would be even better prepared ahead and chilled until ready.  And I love roasted garlic as an addition to mashed potatoes, but I must confess to taking the easy way out on occasion: I just throw a few peeled garlic cloves into the potaotes and boiling water and press the whole mess through the food mill into a waiting saucepan  holding warmed milk, butter and salt and pepper.

I have just considered the great new silicone molds for madeleines, which I believe will make every madeleine baker's life easier; it can be tough to nudge the cookies from the French tinned steel tins I bought before you were born, luckylies. But I think the old metal tins will be much better for this application, producing a crispier item.

←

marvelous. I shall do this. My madeleine pan is not silicone so I shall grease well. Since you are one of my great inspirations Ms. M for trying new things, I shall report back.

[Luckylies]

ooh I saw the silicone madeline pan too...soo cool...after prying some madelines off an antiquated mold last week i kinda wished I could use the ice cube method (twist to release) hmm, just got a silicone loaf pan though...here I come zuchinni bread...

[Suzanne F]

One word of caution re: silicone pans: they tend to hold onto flavors, so if you use one for garlic mashed potato madeleines, you may have to keep making them in the same pan and not use it for anything else. Gee, what a hardship.

[Marlene]

Potato Madelaines nirvana was achieved!

Cute little pans, buttered and breadcrumbed

Filled with garlic mashed potatoes and into the fridge until ready to cook:

I took them out about 30 minutes before baking them. As per Miss M's instructions, drizzled with some melted butter and baked at 400 for about 30 minutes. Just out of the oven.

Flipped to show crust

These were awesome. I love the fact that they can be made ahead of time and I think these are going to be one of my favorite go to recipes for entertaining.

Thanks Maggie!

[maggiethecat]

You're welcome, Marlene! Pretty, tasty and easily prepared ahead are all very good things. So is surprising the guests with spuds in yet another delightful guise.

And so is being reminded of a grest recipe -- thanks, folks. I'll be pulling out the madeleine pans this week.

[bakezoid]

Don't have madeleine pans, so this thread looked interesting, in an intellectual, theoretical way, until I saw the pix. Will buy some pans this week and make these ASAP. They look amazing !

Any advice on brands of metal pans? I'll probably buy the silicon also. Why not?

Amy

[Marlene]

I got my pan from WS so I'm not sure of the brand, but it is a non stick pan. These were utterly amazing. You'll love them.

[Anna N]

Tried to resist but just could not so ordered a pan minutes ago from Golda - now the wait! Should be here by the weekend.

[bakezoid]

Need to do these taters;so I just ordered the non-stick pans from WS (but didn't spring for the extra $ for faster delivery); and without your photos, Marlene, I would have never known that nonstick could get them crispy. Now it's just waiting and dreaming.

Amy

[fou de Bassan]

You MUST make these!

We had them last night and even my garlic hating 5 year old ate them. I made tiny ones just for her.

I made tons and now have them frozen so I can have them when I want.

[Marlene]

Need to do these taters;so I just ordered the non-stick pans from WS (but didn't spring for the extra $ for faster delivery); and without your photos, Marlene, I would have never known that nonstick could get them crispy.  Now it's just waiting and dreaming.

Amy

←

I know. Follow maggie's directions on sticking the breadcrumbed pans in the freezer for a few minutes before filling with potatoes though, to give the crumbs a chance to adhere to the butter. Otherwise, it kind of slips around while you're trying to fill them!

[bakezoid]

OK - to occupy myself while waiting for the pans; what breadcrumbs to use?

[fou de Bassan]

I used panko thinking that they would provide a nice textural contrast. I liked them but next time I think I'll try seasoned rusk crumbs and see what happens.