Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Wayne Boatwright said:

Quoted message said:

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Use cream.

Quoted message said:

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
(I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.

That looks good. 😉

Don't forget to salt them. 😉

Christine

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:23:16 -0600, "Ms P" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Another thing I do is let them

Quoted message said:

drain in the colander until they look dry.

Ms P

Julia Child goes a step further.. After they drain, she puts them back
in the pot, over low heat, then starts mashing them there. The heat
dries out the residual moisture left in the potatoes, so you don't
have watery mashed potatoes. This step is really important.

Then, you can start adding butter and cream.

Christine

Van said:

Got a KitchenAid mixer, by any chance? I use mine to make killer *WHIPPED*
potatoes using butter & cream, a little salt & white pepper. Not a lump in
sight. You can also use sour cream or Half & Half if that's what's in your
fridge.

You could use a hand-held mixer as well - it's just a little more effort, I
guess.

Ack!! Don't use the kitchenaid!!! It will tend to turn the potatoes
to glue.... Same with a food processor. The hand mixer is better for
this...

Christine

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:58:00p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Quoted message said:

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Use cream.

Quoted message said:

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of
mashing. (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired
butter, and add cream until the right consistency. I often boil the
potatoes with a fresh clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to
the pot. I'm also not much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Depends on the meal.

That looks good. 😉

Don't forget to salt them. 😉

Christine

Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add salt
while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that point.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
______________________________________________________________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:55:18 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
overbeating them and they turned gray.

Yes, exactly.. Don't use a stand mixer, or a food processor. A hand
mixer on very low speed is okay, but it is too easy to turn them into
glue with a stand mixer. Plus, you really need to mash them in the
pot, where they can dry out from the heat.

Christine

"rosie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

cybercat said:

I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.

I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
they were lumpy.

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter.
I guess I need milk, right?

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks, and cook till tender( boil them )

Put milk and butter in a pan, heat them, add to potatoes that you
have put through a ricer

I think the ricer is the key. Thanks!

Lou Decruss said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:36:22 +0100, Steve Y <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Thre is no substitute for elbow grease and finding the masher that suits
you.

Yes there is. It's called a ricer. Wayne and aem have mentioned it
also.

It's not easy to plop a lot of potatoes in a basket and squeeze
http://www.cookware-online.co.uk/ishop/images/930/Kcricerc.jpg. I
have one of those, but I need big hands to span the handle gap and I
need well developed biceps to squeeze the handles together. I prefer
using the "other" kind of ricer with the square grid and a single
handle.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:59:58p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:23:16 -0600, "Ms P" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Another thing I do is let them

Quoted message said:

drain in the colander until they look dry.

Ms P

Julia Child goes a step further.. After they drain, she puts them back
in the pot, over low heat, then starts mashing them there. The heat
dries out the residual moisture left in the potatoes, so you don't
have watery mashed potatoes. This step is really important.

Then, you can start adding butter and cream.

Christine

That's something I always do. Makes a world of difference.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
______________________________________________________________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 04:04:32p, cybercat meant to say...

Quoted message said:

"rosie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

cybercat said:

I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.

I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago,

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

they were lumpy.

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter. I guess I need milk, right?

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks, and cook till tender( boil them )

Put milk and butter in a pan, heat them, add to potatoes that you have
put through a ricer

I think the ricer is the key. Thanks!

If you want perfectly smooth and creamy potatoes, it's probably the best
way. I most often use the ricer, although I sometimes use a hand mixer.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
______________________________________________________________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:02:15 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't forget to salt them. 😉

Christine

Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add salt
while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that point.

Oh, you must be a Julia Child aficionado....LOL. She always liked to
use white pepper... It was funny to watch her and Jacques Pepin go
back and forth on that, cause he liked black pepper, and she used
white pepper. LOL.

Christine

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 04:15:35p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:02:15 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't forget to salt them. 😉

Christine

Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add
salt while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that
point.

Oh, you must be a Julia Child aficionado....LOL. She always liked to
use white pepper... It was funny to watch her and Jacques Pepin go
back and forth on that, cause he liked black pepper, and she used
white pepper. LOL.

Christine

Indeed... I like adding a bit of white pepper while mashing the potatoes.
I also like adding freshly ground black pepper to my serving at the table.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
______________________________________________________________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

Cshenk said:

"cybercat" wrote

Quoted message said:

I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
they were lumpy.

Hey, I *like* them lumpy. In fact, we like them with the peel still on.

Quoted message said:

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Not the optimal type of potato for this but they will work. Since you like
them 'unlumpy' peel first.

Quoted message said:

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Boil that 5 lbs chopped up after peeling. How long depends on how much you
cut them up. You can leave them whole too (takes longer but works better
with idahos). Done when a fork slides in easy and they no longer taste
'raw'. If you wish a delightful but *small* flavor boost, add 1 cube
chicken stock to the boiling water but be aware it will slightly color the
potatoes.

One "cube" of "stock"? You mean bouillon, not stock. That stuff is
crappy. Better to use Swanson canned broth than those cubes.
http://waltonfeed.com/self/labels/bullchik.html
http://www.pentaor.com/A1510.html
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information_center/product_labels/chicken_bouillon_label.htm

Quoted message said:

Dump them in a collander and let drip til it stops then put them back in the
pot. You dont want them to get too cold. (If you are going to use a mixer,
heat the bowl before adding the potatoes. The rest of my instructions are
without a mixer).

Add 1 stick softened butter and 1/2 cup sour cream (can use low or no fat
sour cream if desired). Do *not* use margarine or 'whipped butter' as both
are filled with water (up to 50%) and you'll get weapy whimpy mashed
potatoes.

Since when does whipped butter have "up to 50%" water in it? It has
air whipped into it.

Quoted message said:

Start stirring this with a large fork, mashing a bit as you go.
As they start looking dry, you can add any of these to it then cointinue:
heavy cream (no sugar added! We arent talking coffeemate here!), more
butter, whole milk (reduced fat will work but not as well).

I like mine thick and lumpy so I stop stirring earlier than you will and i
use at most 1/2 cup cream (adding more sour cream or butter to smoothe). Be
careful to not overmix. I almost never use milk but prefer the heavy cream.

Variations: Garlic or chive types, melt 1/2 that first stick of butter with
minced garlic or chives (or both) then use it in the initial stages. Don't
get too heavy of a hand there as most folks want mostly potato with only a
little garlic or chive flavor.

A lot of folks would rather make their own decision about whether or
not they want sour cream in their mashed potatoes.

--Bryan

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:23:16 -0600, "Ms P" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Another thing I do is let them

Quoted message said:

drain in the colander until they look dry.

Ms P

Julia Child goes a step further.. After they drain, she puts them back
in the pot, over low heat, then starts mashing them there. The heat
dries out the residual moisture left in the potatoes, so you don't
have watery mashed potatoes. This step is really important.

Then, you can start adding butter and cream.

This sounds like a plan. I am going to get a ricer like the one sf uses.

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:55:18 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
overbeating them and they turned gray.

Yes, exactly.. Don't use a stand mixer, or a food processor. A hand
mixer on very low speed is okay, but it is too easy to turn them into
glue with a stand mixer. Plus, you really need to mash them in the
pot, where they can dry out from the heat.

I think sf is right, I need to practice! Once with the ricer, once with the
mixer. And yes, I did turn my potatoes to glue as a kid, and never tried to
make mashed again. lol

<sf> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lou Decruss said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:36:22 +0100, Steve Y <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Thre is no substitute for elbow grease and finding the masher that suits
you.

Yes there is. It's called a ricer. Wayne and aem have mentioned it
also.

It's not easy to plop a lot of potatoes in a basket and squeeze
http://www.cookware-online.co.uk/ishop/images/930/Kcricerc.jpg. I
have one of those, but I need big hands to span the handle gap and I
need well developed biceps to squeeze the handles together. I prefer
using the "other" kind of ricer with the square grid and a single
handle.

I bought a new ricer about a month or so ago. The one in the picture is the
one I like, but I couldn't find any like that ( in the U.S.) that was
stainless steel. Mine was tinned and had seen better days.

I like the side "vent" holes as in the picture, but all I could find were
the ricers that just had the bottom strainer(s).
But as long as there is a DH in the home, he can rice them, but for some
reason I like the kind with the extra holes in them which probably makes it
harder to process; but it stands to reason that you can do the job faster.

Dee Dee

Bobo Bonobo® said:

Myrl Jeffcoat said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
(I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.
--
Wayne Boatwright

I must admit that I always seemed to over mash the potatoes until they
were more like paste. Then, a good friend of mine, who emanates from
"poor white trash" (sorry Nancy), who taught me "properly".

Her potatoes were, and still are the very best I've eaten. I've stood
by her side a couple of times, while trying to copy her method, but I
still can't do it as well as she does.

She simply boils the potatoes until tender, drains ALL the water off
of them in the pot, leaves the lid ajar for about 15 minutes, adds
condensed milk, a bit of butter, and a tad of salt, then mashes - but
doesn't over mash, with the electric beater. She never has lumps.

When I was in high school, the cooking teacher taught us to use a
ricer to mash potatoes, and that worked well too.

The idea that mashed potatoes are better made with canned milk than
cream--or even fresh milk--is laughable.

Quoted message said:

Myrl Jeffcoat

--Bryan

"better" is a matter of taste. However, I still agree with your sentiment 🙂

--

Sarah Gray

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:54:33 -0800, "Cshenk" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Waxy like Yukon Gold, redskins, or regular old white

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

potatoes work better than Idahos,which are more suited to baking or
frying - I find they fall apart as they boil.

Yes, but that is what she has. Use of sourcream (vice milk) will help
offset that. Yukon Golds would be better.

But Idahos make the best mashed potatoes-they have the starch that is
needed. And you want them to fall apart when you start mashing them.
😉

Yukon golds are also very good.

Christine

Bobo Bonobo® said:

Cshenk said:

"cybercat" wrote

Quoted message said:

I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
they were lumpy.

Hey, I *like* them lumpy. In fact, we like them with the peel still on.

Quoted message said:

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Not the optimal type of potato for this but they will work. Since you like
them 'unlumpy' peel first.

Quoted message said:

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Boil that 5 lbs chopped up after peeling. How long depends on how much you
cut them up. You can leave them whole too (takes longer but works better
with idahos). Done when a fork slides in easy and they no longer taste
'raw'. If you wish a delightful but *small* flavor boost, add 1 cube
chicken stock to the boiling water but be aware it will slightly color the
potatoes.

One "cube" of "stock"? You mean bouillon, not stock. That stuff is
crappy. Better to use Swanson canned broth than those cubes.
http://waltonfeed.com/self/labels/bullchik.html
http://www.pentaor.com/A1510.html
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information_center/product_labels/chicken_bouillon_label.htm

Quoted message said:

Dump them in a collander and let drip til it stops then put them back in the
pot. You dont want them to get too cold. (If you are going to use a mixer,
heat the bowl before adding the potatoes. The rest of my instructions are
without a mixer).

Add 1 stick softened butter and 1/2 cup sour cream (can use low or no fat
sour cream if desired). Do *not* use margarine or 'whipped butter' as both
are filled with water (up to 50%) and you'll get weapy whimpy mashed
potatoes.

Since when does whipped butter have "up to 50%" water in it? It has
air whipped into it.

Quoted message said:

Start stirring this with a large fork, mashing a bit as you go.
As they start looking dry, you can add any of these to it then cointinue:
heavy cream (no sugar added! We arent talking coffeemate here!), more
butter, whole milk (reduced fat will work but not as well).

I like mine thick and lumpy so I stop stirring earlier than you will and i
use at most 1/2 cup cream (adding more sour cream or butter to smoothe). Be
careful to not overmix. I almost never use milk but prefer the heavy cream.

Variations: Garlic or chive types, melt 1/2 that first stick of butter with
minced garlic or chives (or both) then use it in the initial stages. Don't
get too heavy of a hand there as most folks want mostly potato with only a
little garlic or chive flavor.

A lot of folks would rather make their own decision about whether or
not they want sour cream in their mashed potatoes.

Yeah, some of us prefer creme fraiche!

🙂

--

Sarah Gray

Christine Dabney said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:54:33 -0800, "Cshenk" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Waxy like Yukon Gold, redskins, or regular old white

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

potatoes work better than Idahos,which are more suited to baking or
frying - I find they fall apart as they boil.

Yes, but that is what she has. Use of sourcream (vice milk) will help
offset that. Yukon Golds would be better.

But Idahos make the best mashed potatoes-they have the starch that is
needed. And you want them to fall apart when you start mashing them.
😉

Yukon golds are also very good.

Christine

I like using red potatoes, unpeeled, for the color. But you are right,
russets make a better-textured mashed potato.

--

Sarah Gray

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:54:33 -0800, "Cshenk" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Waxy like Yukon Gold, redskins, or regular old white

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

potatoes work better than Idahos,which are more suited to baking or
frying - I find they fall apart as they boil.

Yes, but that is what she has. Use of sourcream (vice milk) will help
offset that. Yukon Golds would be better.

But Idahos make the best mashed potatoes-they have the starch that is
needed. And you want them to fall apart when you start mashing them.
😉

Yukon golds are also very good.

Well, good, I'm glad I bought Idahos.