Duchess potatoes are an elegant, French-pedigreed classic in which mashed potatoes are enriched with egg, piped into decorative rosettes, and baked until golden brown. The egg lightens the potato, creating an almost weightless, dainty fluff that contrasts with the crispy, craggy exterior. In 1867, an article in Galaxy magazine lamenting the state of American cooking noted duchess potatoes on the menu of a rare good dinner. For the next century, the dish made regular appearances on the menus of country clubs, ocean liners, and fancy-pants restaurants, but by the 1970s, it seemed stuffy and out of step with the times, and it fell into culinary disrepute. Which is a shame, because duchess potatoes really are something very special.
I knew I loved Scotch eggs long before I even tasted one, when they were nothing but a character starring in my British snack dreams. There is objectively nothing not to love about a Scotch egg. It’s eggie, meaty, and fried. Done. Get me seven.
Just as some parents of little ones are required to check for monsters in the closet, my mom was required to check for pickles on my burgers. Despite always ordering a very plain cheeseburger, an itsy bitsy pickle occasionally managed to wiggle its way on there and terrify me. Like, spider on my face in the middle of the night terrifying. And no, I don’t really know why.
The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm the filling before stuffing the mushrooms. We do not recommend roasting the mushrooms in advance, as they become leathery once rewarmed. When shopping, choose dense mushrooms with a cupped shape. Blue cheese can be substituted for the goat cheese. This recipe can be easily halved.
The Green Onion Salad recipe mentioned above:
Once you have tried quivering, molten feta with a delicious combination of flavorings, you might never go back to eating feta any other way. And you will also understand why I have stated that this recipe serves 2 when, technically, it could stretch to 4. If you really struggle to find grape leaves, don’t worry – simply wrap up the cheese in some parchment paper instead, much the way you would wrap a present. I like to serve these with flatbread.
Ingredients
Crisp shards of flatbread give crunch to this dish, which lies somewhere between a Greek salad and Levantine fattoush. Typically, it is served in Tajikistan on a large communal wooden platter, along with a hot, flaky, Tajik flatbread called non for everyone to scoop up the salty cheese and fresh vegetables. [Ed. note: This version is made with pita, but any flatbread -- naan, focaccia, non -- will do.]
Pile them high, as much as you like, and to your heart's content.
I first tasted potted shrimp years ago at a cocktail party in New Orleans, where it was served on saltine crackers with a big belt of bourbon on the rocks. What could be wrong? Southerners know how to start a party.