Mashed potatoes – they are such a simple yet vital part of the holiday meal. I cannot imagine a turkey dinner without them. Okay, if you’re low-carb-ing it then you’ll have to substitute something like faux mashed potatoes made from cauliflower, but honestly? Mashed potatoes are ever so much better as long as you don’t resort to instant. Gag.
Here is how I make them:
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- russet potatoes
- milk, cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or some combination thereof
- lots of real butter (you know how I feel about that margarine crap)
- salt and pepper – maybe a little garlic powder and/or Creole seasoning
Directions:
Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into roughly equal-size chunks of about an inch. They will cook faster and more evenly this way. Put in large pot and cover with cold water. Make sure water completely covers the potatoes and that there is still enough room for boiling without boiling over. Although to be honest, I don’t think it would be Thanksgiving if I didn’t end up cleaning the stove after I got distracted and the potatoes boiled over.
Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down just a bit so they are boiling gently. Or simmering violently? Somewhere just below the boil-all-over-the-stove point. Cook until fork tender. Depending on the size and quantity of potatoes in the pot this will generally take somewhere between 20-30 minutes but you just have to check them periodically. Don’t overcook. As soon as they are tender, remove from heat and drain. You can balance the lid in such a way that there is just a little gap to drain out the water or pour them into a colander. I tend to use the lid so there is one less item for me to wash but it is a little trickier maneuver.
Now return the pan of drained potatoes to the stove. If you have an electric stove as I do, then the residual heat after turning it off is fine. If you have a gas stove, just have it barely turned on. Now take the pan of potatoes and shake them gently over the low heat and allow the extra moisture to evaporate. This extra step seems to make for fluffier potatoes, although it isn’t strictly necessary if you’ve drained them well. Still, it’s worth that extra effort. Just be careful not to let them burn. Do not, I repeat, do NOT set the pan on the burner “just for a second”. You are almost guaranteed to be distracted and will end up peeling and cooking another batch of potatoes.
Okay, now you’ve got fluffy, tender, cooked potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt over them, add several pats of butter (do I need to remind you to use the real stuff?) and warm up some milk/cream/1/2 and1/2. Don’t use fat-free milk. At the very least use 2% but come on, folks, it’s Thanksgiving. You’re going to be indulging in pie, for goodness sake. Go ahead and make some decent mashed potatoes and then promise yourself some extra time on the treadmill. It will be worth it. Milk with a splash of heavy cream is my preference, or 1/2 and 1/2.
Now here is where people disagree about mashed potatoes. Purists are going to tell you that you have to rice them by hand. I, on the other hand, don’t own a ricer and have been making perfect mashed potatoes for over 30 years. I use a hand mixer. I pour some of the warm milk on the hot potatoes and use the beaters – not turned on yet – to mash them a bit. Then I turn on the mixer about medium speed and mix, adding more milk as needed. The key is to not over-mix. I’d rather have a few lumps than over-mixed, gluey potatoes. How much milk to use is up to you and your texture preference. I prefer mine fairly thick because you’re going to be pouring gravy over them later and you want the potatoes sturdy enough to stand up to that. Or at least, that’s my preference. If you happen to like yours thinner, add more milk but again, refrain from over-mixing.
Taste the potatoes during the mixing and add more salt, and other seasonings if you are using them, to taste. Season well but remember that while you can add more later, you can’t take any away.
Now you’ve got a beautiful pot of delicious mashed potatoes. If the rest of the meal is ready and you are using serving dishes, put the potatoes in a warmed dish, top with a few more pats of butter and unless you have pepper haters in your family, sprinkle with pepper – freshly ground, if possible. If you need to keep the potatoes hot a little while, leave them in the pot you prepared them in and put the lid on. I have waterless cookware with very tight-fitting lids which do a good job keeping food hot. In fact, I don’t put the potatoes in a serving dish but leave them in the pot on the stove. We serve ourselves from the pot and replace the lid so they stay warm for second servings. It’s not fancy but it works for us.
So go forth and treat your family to delicious mashed potatoes, complete with that gravy I explained how to make. And don’t step on the scale until after a few days of extra treadmill time.
I love mashed potatoes! Actually, I just love potatoes in general, but still. I’m with you on the instant stuff though… That stuff is a disgrace to the name of potato! *pulls a disgusted face*
I make mine very similar to how you make yours, except:
1. I don’t add salt; I very rarely add salt to my cooking. I will often add some other kind of seasoning though, such as garlic.
2. I have to use skimmed, 2% or semi-skimmed milk, and can’t use cream, because my dairy issue means that adding too much cream will just mean I suffer later. Yes, I could get vegan creams or something, but I’m honestly not a fan of them, which is why I’m a vegetarian rather than a vegan. Honestly, even too much of the milks with less cream in them can give me issues sometimes.
3. I use a hand masher to mash mine. I’m with you on the preference for lumps rather than soggy potato though.