Recipes Creamy Fennel Mashed Potatoes Be the first to rate & review! Instead of relying on heavy cream and butter, this recipe uses lighter ingredients like olive oil and half-and-half to make it especially creamy. The fennel puree adds an aromatic twist to the familiar potato flavor.Plus: More Vegetable Recipes and Tips By Cal Peternell Cal Peternell Cal Peternell was the head chef of Chez Panisse for 22 years. He is the author of four bestselling cookbooks, including the award-winning Twelve Recipes (2014). Cal hosts the Cooking by Ear podcast where he invites listeners to cook along with him and kitchen guests such as Frances McDormand, Mira Nair, and Alexander Payne.Experience: Cal Peternell was inspired to pursue a career in cooking while living in Italy with his wife. His professional culinary journey began in San Francisco, where he worked at BIX and Loretta Keller's Bizou. From there he cooked at Lydia Shire's BIBA and Chris Schlesinger's The Blue Room in Boston, before helming the kitchen at Chez Panisse. Cal shifted his attention to writing cookbooks, focused on teaching home cooks how to not only cook well but to take pleasure in the process. His first book gave readers a kitchen manual of essential building blocks to help them develop core skills and confidence. Cal's second and third books provided recipes for celebrations and get-togethers and introduced healthier, more economical, and sustainable ways of cooking. He carries the theme of sustainability into his latest book Burnt Toast and Other Disasters (2021) in which he offers practical advice and kitchen hacks to salvage food-gone-wrong and turn lackluster ingredients into delicious meals. In addition to writing cookbooks, Cal hosts the podcast Cooking by Ear where he invites listeners to cook along with him and kitchen guests such as Frances McDormand, Mira Nair, and Alexander Payne.Education: Cal studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 29, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 6 to 8 Ingredients 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered Salt 3 medium fennel bulbs—halved lengthwise, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 cup half-and-half, warmed until hot 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper Directions In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes over moderately high heat until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, set a steamer basket in a large saucepan with 1/2 inch of boiling water. Add the fennel, cover and steam over moderate heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the fennel to a blender or food processor. Add the half-and-half and olive oil, and puree. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Shake the potatoes over high heat until thoroughly dry. Working over a large bowl, mash the potatoes through a ricer. Stir in the fennel puree, season with salt and pepper and serve. Make Ahead The fennel mashed potatoes can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead. Keep warm in a covered pot, then reheat gently, stirring often. Rate it Print