Mashed Potatoes

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Serves

Introduction

We’re willing to bet that mashed potatoes are on your list of comfort foods. Maybe your mother served up a creamy bowl of freshly made mashed potatoes to accompany the turkey to your holiday table; or perhaps they usually appeared nestled alongside the liver and onions she was trying to get you to eat! Or, sadly, maybe you’ve experience( only the rehydrated instant glop served up in lots of restaurants which ought to know better—often coming out of an instant hot cocoa—type machine! Do yourself a favor and make our version. You won’t want the instant stuff anymore.

Ingredients

	2 to 3	large russet potatoes (8 to 10 ounces each)
	½ to ⅔	cup milk
	4	Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
	~	Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

Peel and rinse potatoes. Cut each into 4 or 5 large chunks and place in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water, cover pot, and bring the water to a boil. Uncover and reduce heat so water boils gently. Cook until potato chunks feel tender but not mushy when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not cook until they are soft and mushy or they will be watery and might even start to disintegrate in the water! Meanwhile heat milk and butter together in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling.
Drain potatoes and place back in the warm pan over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to evaporate excess water. Remove from heat and mash potatoes in the pan using any masher or even a well-constructed wire whisk; or pass them through any of several potato ricers built for the job. Whisk the milk and butter mixture into potatoes a bit at a time, until they are as soft and moist as you like. If potatoes are too dry, add a little more hot milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Potatoes may be cooked and mashed 30 to 45 minutes in advance and kept warm in a covered heatproof glass or stainless steel bowl set over barely simmering water in a saucepan. Or they may be reheated just before serving in a glass or plastic bowl in a microwave oven.
Add 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Heat 2 or 3 crushed cloves fresh garlic with the milk and butter. Allow to stand 10 minutes, then strain out when adding milk to potatoes.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.