| Potato Nests With Sauteed Shiitake
Mushrooms - Main
Cooking Recipes Ingredients:
3 large russet (baking) potatoes
vegetable oil for deep-frying the nests
3 3/4-inch potato nest fryer
coarse salt for sprinkling the nests
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and the
caps sliced thin
1/4 cup medium-dry Sherry
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Cooking Recipes Directions
To make the potato nests, peel the potatoes, transferring
them as they are peeled to a bowl of cold water, and grate
them coarse, returning them as they are grated to the bowl
of water. Drain the potatoes well and pat them dry thoroughly
with paper towels.
In a deep-fat fryer or deep kettle, heat 4 inches of the oil
until it registers 375° on a deep-fat thermometer. Dip
the larger basket of the potato nest fryer into the oil, remove
it, and line the bottom and side with some of the potatoes,
being careful not to burn your fingers. Dip the smaller basket
into the oil, press it into the potato-lined larger basket,
and clamp the basket handles together firmly. Plunge the fryer
into the oil and fry the potato nest for 1 to 3 minutes, or
until it is crisp, golden, and cooked through at the bottom.
Remove the fryer from the oil, detach the larger basket, and
let the potato nest cool on the smaller basket for 3 minutes.
Using a small sharp knife, pry off the potato nest carefully
from the smaller basket, inserting the knife tip between the
wires to loosen the nest. Make 5 more nests in the same manner
with the remaining potatoes, sprinkle all the nests with the
salt, and keep them warm. The nests may be made 3 hours in
advance and reheated in a 350°F oven.
In a large skillet, heat the butter over moderately high heat
until the foam subsides and sauté the mushrooms, stirring,
until they are tender. Stir in the Sherry, boil the mixture
for 1 minute, or until the liquid is evaporated. Stir in the
cream, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the
mushroom mixture among the potato nests.
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