Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Here’s your new basic mashed potato recipe for any time mashed potatoes are called for…which is every meal, right?!

These mashed potatoes are different because the potatoes are gently boiled (not a rolling boil!) to tender perfection in the same dairy you will later add to the potatoes after you mash them.  I read about this concept from Tyler Florence and am always game to try a new potato recipe, especially one with copious amounts of butter and cream.  Cooking in the cream and milk will retain all the potato flavor and some of the starch you would normally pour down the drain when boiling potatoes in water.  Then, mix in however much of the dairy required to get the texture you prefer.  You can also experiment by adding herbs, spices, or garlic to the dairy mixture; add in any mix-ins you like after you mash the potatoes too!

For that ultra-smooth texture, I also run the potatoes through a food mill, which is an old-fashioned, hand-cranked device that purées foods into a smooth, even consistency.  It’s been around forever for a reason…the concept is so simple and it works so well!  Food mills generally come with two discs, one with smaller holes for smooth purées and one with medium to large holes for a little thicker/chunkier texture.  Food mills are great for making tomato sauces, soups, jams/jellies, puréeing potatoes or other hard root vegetables…really anything where you want to leave skins or chunkiness behind and have a purée with the same consistency left in the bowl.  You don’t have to use this, but the texture of mashed potatoes is really something special when you do.  You can mash by hand, or use a hand or stand mixer to whip them up…I would recommend cooking just a little longer so the potatoes are completely tender with no hard, uncooked chunks left since they won’t be “filtered” out as they would with the food mill.  Just don’t use a food processor to mash your potatoes or you will have a nasty, gummy mess to deal with.

Pour a little extra melted butter on top for good measure and prepare for the best mashed potatoes of your life.

[tasty-recipe id=”31639″]