Old-Fashioned Riced Potatoes

Christmas. Patrick at the table. Mom's tree. Mom's prime rib. Mom's pies. The fire in the wood stove. The snow on the porch.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Venison steak from a doe I shot in October. Cast iron. Salt, pepper, butter. Three minutes per side.

The sky was the sky. It held everything.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

That doe I shot in October fed us well through December — and the cut I pulled for Christmas week only needed what the cast iron already knows how to do: salt, pepper, butter, three minutes per side. But a steak that simple deserves something equally honest beside it, and riced potatoes are what this kitchen reaches for when the occasion calls for comfort without fuss. Patrick used to like them this way. I still make them this way.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place the peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork, about 18—20 minutes. Do not undercook — soft potatoes rice cleanly.
Drain thoroughly. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them sit for 2—3 minutes to steam off excess moisture. Dry potatoes make for lighter, fluffier results.
Rice the potatoes. Working in batches, press the hot potatoes through a potato ricer directly into a large warm bowl. Do not use a food processor or blender — over-working releases starch and turns them gluey. A ricer or food mill keeps them light.
Finish with butter and milk. Gently fold in the butter pieces while the potatoes are still hot, letting it melt in. Add the warmed milk a little at a time, folding gently after each addition, until the potatoes reach your preferred consistency. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, and nutmeg if using.
Serve immediately. Riced potatoes are best eaten right away, straight from the bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley if you like. They hold reasonably well over a pot of warm water if supper needs a few more minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Old-Fashioned Riced Potatoes — The Side Dish That Belongs Next to Cast Iron Venison