How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes

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How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I decided to poll some of the chefs we had on the Chef2Chef.net forums. That was an amazing thread. We heard it all. It seemed like everyone was an authority on mashed potatoes. And the reason for that is simple…there are so many types and styles of mashed potatoes there is really no perfect answer or recipe, kind of like chili or BBQ.

BUT, it is our job to educate here so we will give you a great starting point with some options.

It is my opinion that the russet potato makes the best mashed potato with the Yukon potato a close runner up. I like my mashed potatoes somewhat dense, creamy and buttery with no skins. That is the recipe that follows. What you can do with it from there is only limited by your imagination. We will have more recipes to take your mashed potatoes to higher levels.

Mashed Potatoes 101

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes (3 potatoes)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup heated table cream or heavy cream (I prefer heavy cream)
Salt and Naughty Nelly's Deadly Twelve Pepper Blend or a few cranks of the peppermill, to taste

Preparation:

When working with potatoes or any vegetable for that matter, always clean them good under clean running water. Scrub them with a potato brush if you have one and then peel them and place them in a large saucepan of cold water. Once the three potatoes are peeled, cut each one into one inch cubes and place them back into the pan of water. You will notice that water is getting a little gray or murky. That is some surface starch from the potatoes. Once you have all the potatoes cubed, run cold water over the potatoes until the water runs clear and then leave them covered by fresh water. You can leave them in this state for a couple of hours if you need to prep ahead.

When you are ready to cook the potatoes, place the pot, potatoes and cold water on the stove over high heat and add a teaspoon or so of table salt. The salt will help flavor the potatoes during the cooking process. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to a low boil and cook the potatoes until just done, about 10 minutes. To test for doneness, use a fork to check for tenderness. The fork should be able to piece through the center of the cubes. Overcooking will result in soggy potatoes, so stay close to the stove.

QUICK NOTE: Before I go any further, you need to know that to make perfect mashed potatoes, you must get them mashed while they are still hot, so have everything prepped. Once your potatoes have come to a boil, you have 10 minutes to get your cream heated, your butter ready and the mashing tool of choice at hand.

As soon as your potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Place the saucepan of potatoes back on the stove over a low medium heat for a couple of minutes. This helps dry the potatoes out some. Remove from heat.

You have choices at this point. I use a ricer to process my potatoes. You can use one or you could use a hand masher or an electric beater. Just be very careful not to over process your potatoes or they will get gluey.

Working quickly, mash your potatoes, then add the butter and incorporate. Then add the heated cream a little at a time until you have the correct consistency. You are almost done.

We need to season the mashed potatoes. So far we have only added salt to the water and we used unsalted butter in the recipe, so we full control over how much salt we add. I start with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some cracked pepper. Some people like to use ground white pepper so it blends in color wise, me I like to see the pepper. Fold in the seasoning and you are ready to serve. If you are not serving at once, move the potatoes to your serving dish and cover with plastic wrap and hold in a warm place.

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