Give me your best mashed potatoes recipe!

[Paul_Bacino]

Just saw Tyler Florence… do an infusion of herbs and garlic in the milk/creme and the strain the liquid into the tators.

[Frank_Deis]

It’s interesting that nobody has mentioned Joel Robuchon, who is famous for his “potato mash”

He uses downright obscene amounts of butter, and he suggests putting it through a tamis. Mushrooms are also involved.

http://thefrenchwench.com/2010/04/18/joel-robuchon’s-famous-potato-mash/

Science of Cooking Mashed Potatoes

I haven’t done that – I don’t like to use a ricer unless I am making gnocchi. I really like a few lumps in my mashed potatoes. Maybe some butter and cream. If it gets too smooth it starts to remind me of the mashed potatoes made from those powders or flakes. Ugh.

[Eric_LeVine]

@Linda Baehr

@Eric LeVine

Let me add some heresy to the thread. The best mashed potatoes require butter and milk or cream. No question about it. However, ponder trying to make good mashers without ANY dairy at all.

Why you ask? Well we keep kosher at home, so when I make a meat meal, if I want mashers, I have no choice but to find a way to do it without dairy. I was getting to the point of thinking it was not worth doing and just save the mashers for dairy meals. However after enough experimenting I figured out some tricks. People will often try to use EVOO, but I find that it takes over the flavor just too much, so I tend to use a bit of canola or refined olive oil with just a touch of nice EVOO. I have played with a touch of chicken stock, and it brings a bit of richness and body. The real secret though is to quickly whisk in a bit of dry white wine. It’s a surprising combination and actually makes a pretty good mash. So refined olive oil, EVOO, chicken stock, and a touch of white wine. Obviously plenty of salt to taste. And the only potato that works is something low in starch like a Yukon gold.

No, they are not the same as a traditional mash. But they are actually still worth having.

You can use something like a rice milk/soy/oat/almond whatever kind of “milk”. I prefer the unsweetened variety.

I have played with very neutral Soy Milk and don’t love it. I do use it as a sub in some other recipes that call for milk. Another surprisingly good sub for some applications (not just talking potatoes) is coconut milk. Very rich texturally. Obviously the coconut flavor can be too dominant in some cases.

[Nancy_Dolce]

@Bill Tex Landreth

I’ll send you mine via email, so as not to anger the culinary police.

Chicken!

If we all sent our recipes and wine tasting notes by email, we wouldn’t have a discussion board!

I don’t have a mashed potato preference since I defer to DH to mash the taters. I do like garlic mashed or just old fashioned with some lumps. Maybe I will find a new method to pass on to the masher!

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

@Nancy Dolce

@Bill Tex Landreth

I’ll send you mine via email, so as not to anger the culinary police.

Chicken!

If we all sent our recipes and wine tasting notes by email, we wouldn’t have a discussion board!

I don’t have a mashed potato preference since I defer to DH to mash the taters. I do like garlic mashed or just old fashioned with some lumps. Maybe I will find a new method to pass on to the masher!

[Nancy_Dolce]

Looks good, Bill. I could use those for a breakfast recipe I was going to make for Thanksgiving brunch that calls for leftover taters!

[gene_keenan]

@Bill Tex Landreth

@Nancy Dolce

@Bill Tex Landreth

I’ll send you mine via email, so as not to anger the culinary police.

Chicken!

If we all sent our recipes and wine tasting notes by email, we wouldn’t have a discussion board!

I don’t have a mashed potato preference since I defer to DH to mash the taters. I do like garlic mashed or just old fashioned with some lumps. Maybe I will find a new method to pass on to the masher!

They must be good, they are made with “Real Butter.”

[Kent_Zimmerman]

@Paul Bacino

Just saw Tyler Florence… do an infusion of herbs and garlic in the milk/creme and the strain the liquid into the tators.

I do this quite a bit. Just toss in some garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme…whatever into the pan with your dairy on a really low temperature. Works great!

I’ve historically used Yukon Golds, but we’ve switched to Russets lately, as we prefer the texture of the finished product.

[T_Melloni]

I think mashed potatoes fall into one of three categories:
bad - good - great.
Bad: starchy; fake; mealy; bland; over salted; too heavy; too greasy; too watery. You get the idea.
Great: Mashed potatoes that cause you to write poems - “Ode to Mashed Potatoes” You know them when you eat them.
Good: Everything in between.

How can you say “I’m 98 points on that plate of mashed potatoes” and say another plate is 94 points? Come on. They’re mashed potatoes. Bad - Good - Great.
Ok - maybe PUME or PAME.

There are some great ideas/recipes for smashed spuds (other than that box thing).
T.

[Taylor_Senatore]

I friggin’ love mashed potatoes! I’m making at least 3 different kinds for Turkey Day. No recipes as I wing it but here are some types that I have done in the past. I think I read in one of Thomas Keller’s books that the whole idea with mashed potatoes is to see how much butter you can cram into them. Hey what’s not to like!

1. Traditional “2 Sticks of Butter” for 12 Potatoes Style.
2. Wasabi Mashed - it’s the Japanese in me.
3. Blue Cheese Mashed- not my fave but some of the family loves this one
4. Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potates – became an instant family hit when I made it last year
5. White Truffle Oil Mashed – yeah it is a good as you think.

On a side note I also like mashed turnips.

[Mark.Ricca]

What the hell are mashed potatoes?

[Paul_Bacino]

Nice Pan … Mark?

Bet those were good!!

[Jim_Brennan]

Has anyone ever used greek yogurt as a healthier sub for the half & half or sour cream with positive results?

[markjahnke]

Plenty of recipes here that are similar to mine, but the ricer is key! And don’t forget the truffle salt! -mJ

[Linda_Baehr]

@Jim Brennan

Has anyone ever used greek yogurt as a healthier sub for the half & half or sour cream with positive results?

I haven’t used it in potatoes, but I use it as a sub in LOTS of things, and I can barely tell the difference.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

@Jim Brennan

Has anyone ever used greek yogurt as a healthier sub for the half & half or sour cream with positive results?

My wife uses it on baked potatoes and loves it. I don’t try it based on principle of traditional toppings for my tater.

[Eliot_Bergson]

One word: Horseradish.

[Mel_Hill]

@Jim Brennan

Has anyone ever used greek yogurt as a healthier sub for the half & half or sour cream with positive results?

Not in mashed potatoes but in plenty of other situations. We buy the Fage 0% greek yogurt by the quart
I use it as a base for all my cold sauces (instead of sour cream) How does the yogurt handle the heat?

[Frank_Hronek]

@Taylor Senatore

I friggin’ love mashed potatoes! I’m making at least 3 different kinds for Turkey Day. No recipes as I wing it but here are some types that I have done in the past. I think I read in one of Thomas Keller’s books that the whole idea with mashed potatoes is to see how much butter you can cram into them. Hey what’s not to like!

1. Traditional “2 Sticks of Butter” for 12 Potatoes Style.
2. Wasabi Mashed - it’s the Japanese in me.
3. Blue Cheese Mashed- not my fave but some of the family loves this one
4. Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potates – became an instant family hit when I made it last year
5. White Truffle Oil Mashed – yeah it is a good as you think.

On a side note I also like mashed turnips.

Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes? Recipe, please.

[Bob_Wood]

Chipotle mashed sweet potatoes:

Bake sweet potatoes
Peel and mash with pureed chipotles en adobo, heavy cream, butter, salt, pepper and a dash of maple syrup. Warning - it takes very little chipotle to make this zingy without being excessively hot. If I’m making it for two, I sometimes just use some of the adobo.