Ditch the Heavy Cream for Potatoes That Are Heavy on Flavor
Cheese- and cream-laden potato dishes reign supreme on the list of Thanksgiving sides. Starch and fat happen to be very compatible—no complaints there. But there is a rare, unsung type of potato side that manages to be robust but not heavy. One that lets the potatoes shine. Our Garlic and Rosemary Potato Tian is exactly that.
Building flavor layer by layer
Our Garlic and Rosemary Potato Tian makes good use of salty, umami-forward Parmesan, but as as a topping, a final flourish, not the main attraction. Instead of relying on cheese to do the heavy lifting, this potato dish builds flavor from beginning to end with chicken broth, enticing aromatics and tangy mustard.
An entire head of garlic (sans its papery outer layers and the tops of the cloves) does double-duty. The whole head is gently simmered in chicken broth for about 30 minutes, infusing the broth with flavor as it softens. Once removed and cooled, the buttery-soft cloves are squeezed back into the broth, giving it a velvety texture and mellow, almost nutty flavor.
Fresh rosemary is a key ingredient in this dish. The piney herb is used with restraint—only 2 teaspoons are used for 5 pounds of potatoes—the perfect amount to give the dish character without overpowering it. Tossed with the thinly sliced potatoes and melted butter, the bits of minced herb lightly flavor the entire dish.
Mustard ties it all together
The garlic-flavored chicken broth makes up the bulk to the “sauce” in this dish, but the broth isn’t working alone. It’s no secret that potatoes supply powerful starches that thicken and gelatinize when cooked with water, but whole-grain mustard also plays a key role.
Mustard contains mucilage, a natural emulsifier found in the outer coating of the mustard seed. Mucilage attracts both water and fat, emulsifying the butter and broth to form a creamy, stable sauce that’s further thickened by the starch from the potatoes. The whole-grain mustard also delivers a welcome tangy note that cuts through the richness, creating a balance of flavors that works not just on your plate, but alongside the entire Thanksgiving meal.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
And if you're looking for more Milk Street, check out our livestream cooking classes with our favorite chefs, home cooks and friends for global recipes, cooking methods and more.
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Allie Chantorn Reinmann is a Digital Staff Writer for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. She’s a Thai-American chef who earned her diploma for Pastry and Baking Arts at The Institute of Culinary Education and worked professionally for over a decade honing her craft in New York City at places like Balthazar, Bien Cuit, The Chocolate Room, Billy’s Bakery and Whole Foods. Allie took her know-how from the kitchen to the internet, writing about food full-time at Lifehacker for three years and starting her own YouTube channel, ThaiNYbites. You can find her whipping up baked goods for cafés around Brooklyn, building wedding cakes and trying her hand (feet?) at marathon running. She’s working on her debut cookbook and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
