It can be difficult to find a more classic side dish than mashed potatoes. The food that is always served during this holiday is one of the special foods that you rarely encounter throughout the year. Whether served with fried chicken, roast turkey, stew, or as part of shepherd's pie, mashed potatoes can be made as smooth and creamy as possible, or slightly large and coarse. Whatever the dish, you'll soon find out why this one side dish isn't boring.
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 medium sized potatoes
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk, half milk and half cream, or chicken stock (depending on how soft you want the mashed potatoes to be)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Coarse Mashed Potatoes
Step 1. Choose your potatoes
There are a few basic options for buying potatoes: baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, and all-purpose potatoes. All these types of potatoes have different qualities of taste and texture.
- Baked potatoes, such as Russet, are high in carbohydrates which makes for a light, creamy mashed potato.
- Boiled potatoes, like red potatoes, have a dense flesh which means they are difficult to deform, and result in lumpy mashed potatoes.
- Versatile potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, have a texture somewhere between boiled and baked potatoes. It tastes more savory than Russet potatoes.
Step 2. Wash the potatoes
Use cold water and gently rub the entire surface of the potato. Look for black spots that are signs of accumulated dirt. If you wash potatoes in a bowl of water, be sure to rinse them before cutting them.
You can use a small brush made specifically for cleaning potatoes or vegetables. This tool will help remove dirt that is firmly attached
Step 3. Prepare the potatoes for boiling
You can either cook the potatoes with the skin on or peel them before cutting them. Simply cut your potatoes into quarters or cut into cubes.
Removing the potato skins will result in a more textured mashed potato. For that, you should use Yukon Gold potatoes which have a thinner skin than Russet
Step 4. Cook your potatoes
Place the prepared potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water. Your potatoes should be submerged in 2.5 to 5 cm of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a slow boil and cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Potatoes are done when you can poke them with a fork and fall apart.
- You can add salt to the boiled potato water to add flavor, just like when cooking pasta. Potatoes will absorb the salt as they cook.
- Avoid using hot water and covering the pot. This will cause the potatoes to cook unevenly and may cause them to become sticky.
Step 5. Prepare the cooking liquid
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the chicken stock or milk until warm and remove the butter from the refrigerator.
- Use chicken stock if you want a stronger potato flavor. Milk, from low-fat milk to whole milk, will result in softer potatoes.
- Heating this liquid will keep the mashed potatoes hot longer. The warm liquid is also better absorbed by the potatoes.
Step 6. Drain and prepare the potatoes
Use a sieve or lift the potatoes out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Return the cooked potatoes to the pot. Add the room temperature butter, and start mashing the potatoes.
The best tool for mashing rough potatoes is a simple potato masher. Avoid mashing it too much or you will end up with potato puree. You will need to leave small lumps and intact potato skins
Step 7. Add warm liquid
Gradually add the broth or warm milk. Stir gently and add more liquid if your mashed potatoes haven't come together. Keep adding the liquid until your mashed potatoes come together.
Do not add all the liquid at once. Your food can become too runny, resulting in runny mashed potatoes. Your potatoes may need more or less liquid, depending on the type of potato and its carbohydrate content
Step 8. Season and serve
Taste the potatoes, and add salt, pepper, and/or butter, to your liking. Serve while warm or covered until ready to be enjoyed.
Chopped chives or chopped bell peppers make a pretty garnish for mashed potatoes
Method 2 of 2: Make Soft and Smooth Mashed Potatoes
Step 1. Choose your potatoes
There are a few basic options for buying potatoes: baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, and all-purpose potatoes. All these types of potatoes have different qualities of taste and texture.
- Baked potatoes, such as Russet, are high in carbohydrates which makes for a light, creamy mashed potato.
- Boiled potatoes, like red potatoes, have a dense flesh which means they are difficult to deform, and result in lumpy mashed potatoes.
- Versatile potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, have a texture somewhere between boiled and baked potatoes. It tastes more savory than Russet potatoes.
Step 2. Wash the potatoes
Use cold water and gently rub the entire surface of the potato. Look for black spots that are signs of accumulated dirt. If you wash potatoes in a bowl of water, be sure to rinse them before cutting them.
Step 3. Prepare the potatoes for boiling
Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters or cut into cubes. Very large chunks or halving will take a long time to cook. Cut the potatoes into a few centimeters.
Step 4. Cook your potatoes
Place the prepared potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water. Your potatoes should be submerged in 2.5 to 5 cm of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a slow boil and cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Potatoes are done when you can poke them with a fork and fall apart.
- You can add salt to the boiled potato water to increase the taste, just like when cooking pasta. Potatoes will absorb the salt as they cook.
- Avoid using hot water and covering your pot. This will cause the potatoes to cook unevenly and may cause them to become sticky.
Step 5. Prepare the cooking liquid
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the chicken stock or milk until warm and remove the butter from the refrigerator.
- Use milk or cream for the softest mashed potatoes. Half milk and half cream is another great option for adding a fatty flavor to your mashed potatoes.
- Heating this liquid will keep your mashed potatoes hot longer. The warm liquid is also better absorbed by the potatoes.
Step 6. Drain and prepare the potatoes
Use a sieve or lift the potatoes out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Return the cooked potatoes to the pot. Add the room temperature butter, and start mashing the potatoes.
The most suitable tool for making soft and smooth mashed potatoes is a potato grater. To use it, stuff the potatoes in it, put the bowl under the grater, then press the grater. The potatoes will be grated through the small holes of the grater
Step 7. Add warm liquid
Gradually add the broth or warm milk. Stir gently and add more liquid if your mashed potatoes haven't come together. Keep adding the liquid until your mashed potatoes come together.
Do not add all the liquid at once. Your food can become too runny, resulting in runny mashed potatoes. Your potatoes may need more or less liquid, depending on the type of potato and its carbohydrate content
Step 8. Season and serve
Taste the potatoes, and add salt, pepper, and/or butter, to your liking. Serve while warm or covered until ready to be enjoyed.
Chopped chives or chopped bell peppers make a pretty garnish for mashed potatoes
Warning
- Boiling water and hot steam can injure the skin, so be careful when handling the pot.
- Do not boil or mash the potatoes in a non-stick pan, you may damage the coating.
- Be careful when peeling and cutting potatoes.
