Perfect Mashed Potatoes Every Time



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Learning how to make mashed potatoes isn't so much a recipe as it is a method. Once you understand what's going on making perfect mashed potatoes is easy as pie.

Always dice your potatoes to a uniform size, within the limits of the shape of the potato. The potatoes will cook more evenly. 

Always start your potatoes in cold water. If you start them in hot water the outside of the potato cooks and the inside is raw. This causes the outside to disintegrate while the inside is undercooked.

Cook your potatoes over medium heat. Cooking over high heat causes the outside to disintegrate while the inside is undercooked.

Add warmed cream and melted butter to the potatoes, adding cold cream and butter makes no sense. Your potatoes will be lukewarm at best.

If you use a stand mixer or hand mixer use low speed settings. High speed mixing whips up the starch and gives you starchy potatoes.

By the time I was 8 years old I was responsible for making dinner. My mom worked evenings and my dad expected dinner on the table when he came home.

One night I made pork chops and mashed potatoes. during dinner my dad said to me that the potatoes were tasted good but they were a little bit lumpy. He said next time I make them try and get the lumps out.

Well a few weeks later I was making mashed potatoes for dinner, again. I started thinking about how I was going to get the lumps out. Then it hit me, the blender.

I put the potatoes, milk and butter into the blender and hit puree. Seriously, it was Elmer's glue.

To my dad's credit he never once said anything about the potatoes, other than asking me what happened. I told him I put them in the blender to get rid of the lumps. 

I found out several years, and many successful meals later, that he called my mom at work and told her those potatoes were the worst thing he had ever tasted.  

Mashed Potatoes.

So creamy and buttery these are perfect mashed potatoes.

How to cut a potato for mashed potatoes.

Slice the potatoes into half inch thick discs. Then slice them lengthwise and finish by dicing them crosswise.

Diced potatoes in a saucepan and cream and butter in another saucepan.

Add your butter and cream to a small saucepan. As you dice the potatoes add them to a pot with cold water, while you finish dicing the rest of the potatoes, this prevents oxidation.

Mashed potatoes on a plate.

Perfect mashed potatoes every time.

So Creamy And Buttery These Are Perfect Mashed Potatoes.

  • Yield: 3 servings
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, about 750 grams, 25 ounces
  • 60 ml / 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 250 grams / 8.8 ounces pastured salted butter, see notes
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Method

  1. If you want skin-on mashed potatoes, Wash the potatoes and dry them. Dice the potatoes into cubes, about a half inch, or 1 centimeter. Immediately place the diced potatoes into a pot or bowl of cold water. This prevents oxidation. Continue until all the potatoes are cut.
  2. If you want mashed potatoes, Wash the potatoes and dry them. Peel the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes into a pot or bowl of cold water. This prevents oxidation. Dice the potatoes into cubes, about a half inch, or one centimeter. Immediately place the diced potatoes into a pot or bowl of cold water. This prevents oxidation. Continue until all the potatoes are cut.
  3. Drain the diced potatoes in a colander and add them to a 3 quart saucepan. Fill the saucepan with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by a half inch, one centimeter.
  4. Place the potatoes on a burner and turn it to medium heat. Let the potatoes cook until done. Potatoes are done when you can slice through them with no resistance, using a paring knife.
  5. Meanwhile, add the cream and butter to a small saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter is just melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. When the potatoes are done, place a colander in the sink and drain them into the colander. Place the colander on the pot and let the potatoes steam off for 3 or 4 minutes. 
  7. Meanwhile, pre warm the bowl of your stand mixer by rinsing it with hot tap water. Dry the bowl completely and add the potatoes.
  8. Using the paddle attachment mix the potatoes on low until they are completely mashed. Stop the mixer and add the butter mixture and several grinds of fresh pepper. Turn the mixer on low and mix until the butter is incorporated and the potatoes are creamy. 
  9. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. If you do add more salt mix it in with a wooden spoon.

Notes

  1. Mashed potatoes are one of the recipes I make with salted butter. There's just something about the combination of potatoes and the flavor of salted butter that can't be replicated by using unsalted butter and adding salt.
  2. While many mashed potato recipes call for white pepper, I prefer black pepper in my mashed potatoes. They are comfort food and meant to be a rustic dish. However, feel free to substitute white pepper, if you like.
  3. To make herbed mashed potatoes, like the parsley mashed potatoes I made with the pot roast, add fresh chopped herbs to the potatoes when they go into the mixer. You can add thyme, parsley, oregano, tarragon, chives or green onions. Really the only limit is your imagination. Be aware that some herbs, like tarragon, have a really strong flavor so go easy with them.