An Ode to Instant Potato Flakes
I’m something of an instant potato flake truther. They’re a wonderful addition to any pantry—the trouble is most people just don’t know how to use them. They’re not a great sub for freshly mashed potatoes, but they are a useful and versatile ingredient. They’re so versatile, in fact, they’ve found their way into my Thanksgiving menu. I had the whole meal all written up on my Thanksgiving spreadsheet (which you can access here), but then I saw our newly published recipe for Garlic-Parmesan Potato Bread Dinner Rolls, the name of which contains six of my favorite words.
Like most potato bread, these rolls are pillowy-soft; unlike most potato bread recipes, this one uses instant potato flakes instead of the usual mash. It makes the recipe easier, sure, but it also makes it more consistent. Potato starch is excellent at absorbing and holding on to moisture. Potato flakes—which are nothing more than dehydrated potatoes—are primed for this task. (The moisture content of mashed potatoes, however, varies from batch to batch.) You’re still adding pure potato to your dough, only someone else has done the washing, peeling, cooking, mashing and dehydrating. They’re also brushed with garlic-rosemary-infused butter and sprinkled with Parmesan, which browns and crisps into a frico-like layer.
This is not the first time we’ve advocated for instant potato flakes. We even use them to make gnocchi. No peeling, no ricing, no anything—just hydrate them a bit and mix then with flour and egg, then roll and cut and cook. This gives you more time to consider the sauce. My favorite is this one, made with a mixture or pistachios, salty cheese and pepper arugula, but I also enjoy a classic Genovese and the savory combination of pancetta and garlic.
Another newcomer to my Thanksgiving menu (and spreadsheet) is our Burnt Leek Gravy. Leeks have an incredible amount of thickening pectin, making them an ideal addition to gravy. Here we borrow from the Mexican and Vietnamese techniques of deeply charring aromatics to add depth and color to a dish. We broil a whole leek—dark green parts and all—until blackened, then puree it with stock (or broth). It lends an earthy sweetness and a touch of smokiness to the gravy, in addition to a silky texture. I don’t usually use a recipe to make gravy, but this year I’ll be making an exception.
I’ve also been thinking about what to eat Thanksgiving morning. My usual strategy is to make a cup of coffee and let it grow cold as I rush around preparing, but this year I want to make a baked good snack on as I cook (and clean). Chris has highly recommended our Orange-Cranberry Soda Bread with White Chocolate Chunks multiple times for just this occasion. I think I can trust his recommendation.
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Claire Lower
Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.
