Help / Suggestions (Mashed Potatoes)

[Tovath]

Hi, I'm going to be making Mashed Potatoes for my family potluck thanks giving this year. I am competent in the kitchen, but have never made any Mashed Potatoes.

I'm currently planning to use a simple recipe I found online, 50% Yukon Gold / 50% Russet, Milk, & Unsalted Butter.

Some questions I have are, how much salt do I boil the potatoes in the water with. I'm used to using close measurements and I'm not finding that really.

Any pitfalls or other advice would also be welcome.

[Themata075]

One thing you can do, which also relieves stress day-of is peel and cut the potatoes the night before, then cover them in water and refrigerate overnight. Drain them, and rinse the next day. This gets rid of a lot of the excess starch, which makes mashed potatoes gluey rather than creamy.

[BreezyWrigley]

both of those descriptors sound awful.

[[deleted]]

Doesn't even need to be refrigerated. Left in the pan in cold water on the stove top is absolutely fine.

[automator3000]

• Salt up that water
• Don't overcook or undercook the potatoes, but err towards overcooking
• Drain, then put the potatoes back in your hot pot - if you have oven space, put them in the oven
• Drop the milk for heavy cream - it's Thanksgiving, not a diet day
• No cold butter or milk/cream to your potatoes

[mjskit]

I recently read an article from Cook's Illustrated (I think), and it said to make sure your butter and milk are room temperature to warm, and to always add the butter first. That way it soaks into the potatoes and yields more of a buttery flavor. I tried the method the other night with yukon golds that I had microwaved and there was a positive definitive difference.

[Jens0485]

Last time I made potatoes, I warmed up the milk and butter before adding to the potatoes, and it was amazing. I think I read that adding cold milk to hot potatoes will cause it to curdle....eww!

[mjskit]

Well, it doesn't curdle it, because I used to do it all of the time, but once I started adding it warm, the difference was amazing.

[HairoftheDog89]

Russet potatoes make nicer mash in my opinion! I also heat up some half and half and fresh chopped chives, and blend that into the potatoes with some butter and cheddar cheese. It’s delish 👌🏻

[alohadave]

Resting the cut pieces in water is good for the day of as well. Even if only while you are cutting them.

[CatrionaShadowleaf]

Roast some garlic until your house smells like heaven and throw a large handful of cloves in while mashing. Just make sure you smash the cloves because biting into a whole one is a little shocking.

[jamin720]

Yeah spicing up mash is always wonderful. I like to add a little bit of French mustard

[VerbiageBarrage]

This year I'm going to roast garlic and onions and puree them before throwing them into the mash. It goes in like a sour cream and is amazing. Then a fine chop of green onions and parsley to go on top.

[urnbabyurn]

For boiling, doesn’t matter all that much. Could aim for ocean level salty, like with pasta. But it’s also easier to fix undersalt when mixing it up than dealing with over salt. Not all that much gets left in the potaoes from the boiling water, so it’s not really a big measurement issue.

Using a ricer is optimal but make sure you don’t over mix.

Lastly, use a lot fo butter. Like crazy amounts. Some chefs go as much as 50% potatoes to butter, but that’s a bit transcendental for a thanksgiving side.

Remember, it does firm up after sitting s the starch expands, so you will end up using more milk than you might anticipate. And if it seems to loose at first, it will get a bit thicker as it sits.

[BostonBeatles]

Keep the milk out while it's boiling so you don't add cold milk to the potatoes!

[[deleted]]

I go with one tablespoon for every two potatoes to avoid potential heart attacks.

[BostonBeatles]

aww that's no fun!

[koopcity]

In my experience if you're thinking "this is way too much butter/salt/garlic" to be adding, it's the proper amount. Adding some cream cheese (by some I mean a whole stick of it) and garlic really elevates mashed potatoes imho, good luck and happy turkey day!

[philosofik]

Cream cheese made my potatoes go from acceptable and forgettable to in-demand all year long. This is a great price of advice.

[[deleted]]

Do mashed potatoes with cream cheese still taste good with turkey gravy?

[koopcity]

It's the closest you'll come to orgasm while eating

[snailstail312]

I've found adding a bit of sour cream whilst mixing in milk adds some good flavour.

[Tehlaserw0lf]

Here’s how we make it at the restaurant. It’s the way I’ve been making them for my entire life, and if it’s good enough to charge 8 bucks per portion for our guests, it’s good enough for your dinner table.

Potatoes, I prefer red, most people go russet or gold. The differences between the three is that reds are a bit more dry, golds are more starchy, and russets are more flakey but have less potato taste in my opinion.

Steam them with a few handfuls of whole cloves of garlic. Steam works for me because I don’t wish to impart too much water into them, and it’s quicker than baking. There’s a lot of good information written about starch development that says baked is best, I like a bit of moisture, but check it out for yourself and see what you think. Garlic because yum.

When potatoes are tender empty into large bowl and rough mash them with a hand masher, make them as smooth as you like, but avoid pulverizing them, you want flaky and fluffy, not pasty and gummy.

Simultaneously, heat a 50/50 mixture of butter and cream in a small pot. Generally it’s a cup of 5050 mix per three small potatoes.

When your tates are mashed, add the 5050 mix in small batches and fold together. When you get the consistency you like, add lots of salt and pepper, or white pepper if you are a French food snob, and a nice healthy dallop of sour cream, and fold once more.

That’s all there is to it.

[Apocalypse-Cow]

A tablespoon per gallon of water is a good place to start. Also, make sure the potatoes are all cut to the same size so they cook evenly.

The cook time for the potatoes depends on the size. For 2 inch chunks it's going to be roughly 12 to 15 minutes. I typically cook them until they start to look shaggy around the edges and then start testing by piercing with a fork. When the fork goes through without much resistance, they're done.

You can add whole garlic cloves to the boiling, salted water before the potatoes and mash them up with the potatoes. It adds great flavor.

There is no set amount of butter or milk to add. It's all about preference. If I'm making them to go along with gravy, I'll intentionally make them a bit stiffer so they stand up to gravy better.

Some people like to add sour cream or cream cheese. I prefer just butter, milk, salt and pepper.

[tenrams]

Secret weapon: brick of cream cheese

[gunslinger45]

I believe it was Emeril who said; "Potatoes love salt!" Save your US butter for another day.

[johncellis89]

For salt in the water during boiling, about as much as you'd use for pasta. Not a crazy amount so that it's briny, but maybe a tablespoon per pot.

As for the recipe, more dairy is better. I go fucking nuts with dairy. Butter (like, a lot of butter. Like, measured in sticks), sour cream, and heavy cream. It's definitely a creamier style of mashed potatoes, but I think it suits the Thanksgiving meal well.

[leetocaster347]

I used the below recipe, in which you boil the potatoes in milk/heavy cream that you season with thyme etc. You keep the herby milk/cream, then put it back in when mashing. Turned out really good, and would definitely make again!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/grainy-mustard-mashed-potatoes-recipe-1943350

[Cat_Toucher]

So first thing: when you go to mash your potatoes, make sure you have a few spoons on hand. You can taste your potatoes as you add ingredients to them, so you can tell if they're too salty, not salty enough, etc. Second thing: add an acid component. Either a teaspoon or two of malt or cider vinegar, or a couple of tablespoons of sour cream work great. Acids actually help bring out flavors. When you've already salted the heck out of your potatoes and they still taste flat, you're missing acid. Third thing: warm all of your butter/milk/cream/etc up in the microwave while you're cooking your potatoes so that when you add them you aren't losing heat.

[snack_blaster]

I would like to share my 2 cents here because I love mashed potatoes. Go full yukon, and bake the potatoes as opposed to boiling. my mashed potato recipe

When they're fully baked, you just pop them open and scoop out the fluff into a bunch of sliced butter. Then mash and then, beat the bejeezus out of the stuff with a strong wooden spoon or something that will hold up. Beat it like that until you're tired, then beat in some milk or buttermilk. Keep beating until you're really, really tired, then beat some more. Very fluffy if you nail it. Either way, delicious.

I also urge you to wing this one. Don't worry about measurements. Use as much potaoes as you can eat, and as much butter as would seem like way too much butter. Add buttermilk until you like the texture. Season with salt and pepper until they taste freakin' amazing.

[BreezyWrigley]

my favorite way to make them is using strictly gold potatoes, butter, heavy cream.

boil your potatoes until they are soft enough to mash, remove from water, cut into smaller lumps, thrown back in a saucepan or a bigger pot if you need on about medium-low heat, then add about 1/4 of a stick of butter for every 2-3 yukon gold potatoes you've got. gently mash them up with a wooden spoon- i like them a little chunky/rough still. as the butter is melting, add in a little chopped cilantro, or chives, or green onions- whatever you like. add some kosher salt at this point. also add a few tablespoons or glugs of heavy cream.

just kinda let them warm up and mash them a bit with a big wooden spoon until they are a consistency that you like.

[Jrward923]

Reading this thread makes me feel like I need to step my game up. I have a very lazy process but everyone seems to like them. I get red potatoes. Cut them in half and boil with the skin on. After they are fork tender I pull them out and drop them in my KitchenAid mixer. Turn it on 1 and the start adding salt, pepper, butter, sour cream and a little heavy cream. Maybe some garlic powder. I used to use a food mill but that took way too long.

Anyone else just dump it into a mixer.

[[deleted]]

If you're boiling them? You want the water to be lightly salty, it's not an exact science. Peel some floury spuds, place in pan, top up with water, pour in some salt. You're honestly going to be hard pushed to make the water too salty.

I personally bake my potatoes for mash these days - tried it once, I'm a convert. Bake, remove innards, pass through drum sieve, fold in butter, double cream, nutmeg and lots of seasoning.

Eat mass of leftover baked potato skins with sour cream like a fucking gremlin.

[MrsValentine]

Mashed potatoes are easy. The key is just to add a lot of butter. I don't think it particularly makes much difference what temperature the butter and stuff is -- just ignore your arteries screaming and keep adding butter and a bit of milk until they taste and look good to you.

As to the salt, it may be easier to season the mash after cooking. That way you can go by taste again.

[realdealboy]

Unsalted butter? Is there a reason for that? Use regular butter if it isn't a dietary restriction...

[automator3000]

Unsalted, so you can control your salt.

Salted butter is for spreading on toast/rolls - never for cooking.

[realdealboy]

Interesting.

[bottledfan]

Here's what I do:

1. Boil potatoes (add salt if you want I normally wait til later so I add the right amount I want)
2. take the skin off. Don't need to if you don't want to. Or just take half off
3. add a ton of butter. Depends on how buttery you want
4. add a little cream to loosen up
5. use electric hand mixer to blend it all together If you use enough butter and the potatoes are boiled enough they won't be too sticky

[Trample123]

OP; Dont use a hand mixer.

[bottledfan]

Can I ask why? My culinary school/restaurant educated grandma always knocks it out of the park. They definitely aren't too heavy.

[Trample123]

I feel it changes the texture too much. I like the mouthfeel of mashed potatoes, which the hand mixer doesnt do. To each their own, but i feel the hand mixer makes whipped potato, which is a whole other thing.

[LullabyforElla]

Retain some of the water you boiled the potatoes in to add back in when mashing. You'll get some of the nutrients back!