Philippe Boulot's Whipped-Potato-And-Wild-Mushroom Napoleon

Name: Philippe Boulot's Whipped-Potato-And-Wild-Mushroom Napoleon
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 medium-large Idaho potatoes, about 2 ¼ pounds; ¾ cup milk; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 ½ tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, tarragon and chives; 1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon; 1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped chives; 4 tablespoons olive oil; ½ pound chopped fresh wild mushrooms, like portobello, cremini, oyster, shiitake - or a mixture; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 to 1 ½ cups vegetable oil, like canola or peanut, for deep-frying

By Florence Fabricant

Published May 18, 1991

Total Time: 50 minutes
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:Six servings

4 medium-large Idaho potatoes, about 2 ¼ pounds
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, tarragon and chives
1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped chives
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound chopped fresh wild mushrooms, like portobello, cremini, oyster, shiitake - or a mixture
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 1 ½ cups vegetable oil, like canola or peanut, for deep-frying

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Peel three of the potatoes, cut them in small chunks and place them in a saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and pass the potatoes through a food mill or a ricer.
Step 2
In the same pan, heat the milk; add the butter and the cooked potatoes and mix over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the herbs. Set aside, covered.
Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium heat until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess oil and mix the mushrooms with the potatoes. Season the potato mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
Scrub the remaining potato. Cut it into very thin slices lengthwise, either with a mandoline or food processor or by hand. You should have 18 slices. Pat them dry on paper towels.
Step 5
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a skillet or a wok until very hot. Fry the potato slices a few at a time, turning them once, until golden, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels.
Step 6
Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the fried potato slices on a baking sheet and reheat for 5 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the mashed potato mixture.
Step 7
To assemble, spread some of the potato puree on each of six plates, top with a slice of fried potato, then repeat twice more, making three layers of mashed potato and three of fried, ending with the fried potato.