I have been making mashed potatoes wrong for years. This was quite a shocker to me, someone who knows her way around a kitchen and considers mashed potatoes to be one of the ultimate comfort foods.
I came to this rude awakening last year when I attended Advanced Culinary Boot Camp at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. It was a thrill to be working in a professional kitchen with a real chef who challenged us to make and try new things. I was feeling pretty good about myself, having maneuvered pretty well through the dishes we’d made thus far. Apparently I was due to be taken down a notch for my overconfidence.
It started when I was cutting up the potatoes. I was diligent about peeling them thoroughly and cutting out the eyes so my end product would be perfect. The recipe said to quarter the potatoes, but I interpreted this loosely since I had always cut them into 1” chunks for boiling and proceeded as I had done in the past.
“What does ‘quartering’ mean?” Chef asked over my shoulder.
“Well, four pieces, but these potatoes are kind of big so I . . .”
“No. Stick to the directions.”
“But won’t they cook faster if they’re in 1” chunks?” I asked naively.
“Yes, but you’ll leach out too much of the potato’s starch. Stick to the directions.”
OK, I stood corrected. Then Chef noticed the pot of water on the stove that was heating over a high flame.
“What’s the water for?” Chef asked.
“For the potatoes,” I responded. In my attempt to save time, I have always brought the water to a boil before adding the potatoes so, once again, they’ll cook faster.
“No,” Chef sighed again. “You put the potatoes in cold water. That way the potatoes heat up at the same time the water does, and by the time the water comes to a simmer your potatoes should be almost done. If you put them into boiling water, the outside of the potatoes will cook faster than the inside and they’ll get mushy.”
Ouch. Two blows to the ego on one simple dish. The third blow (they always come in threes, right?) came when the potatoes were in the pot on the stove. My definition of a simmer is a light boil with lots of little bubbles constantly surfacing. Chef’s definition is that the water is steaming and there is an occasional “bloop” from a bubble, but nothing more. My simmer was, in his eyes, a boil; my definition of boiling was more of what he considered to be a rolling boil.
The rest of the preparation went well, as did the rest of the week, and I have followed Chef’s instructions ever since. So now I share his instructions with you, along with some side notes and variations on the preparation and final product.
Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes—preferably russet or Yukon Gold
Cold water
Scrub and peel potatoes, then cut into quarters (that’s four pieces—not open to interpretation). Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water to 1” above the top of the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, then begin testing the potatoes every few minutes for doneness. You should be able to pierce the potato easily with a fork when it is done.
Drain the water from the pot. For the best texture, run the potatoes through a ricer (which, if you’ve never seen one, looks like a giant garlic press) or mash the potatoes. Add heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Variation #1: Healthier version (also dairy-free)
Substitute chicken broth for at least half of the water (can use in place of all the water if you choose). When potatoes are cooked, drain most of the cooking liquid off but reserve enough for mashing, which you will use in place of the heavy cream. The easiest way to do this is to drain off all of the liquid but pour about ½ cup into a liquid measuring cup or bowl so you can add it back to the potatoes after ricing or mashing them. I have tried to eyeball this by leaving just enough liquid in the pot and then mashing, but it’s too easy to end up with not enough liquid (so you have to supplement with milk anyway) or too much liquid (so you get soupy potatoes). Add salt & pepper to taste, and butter (or butter substitute) if desired.
Variation #2: Umame version
Umame is the term for the fifth distinct taste our tongues are able to identify, the one that was added in the recent past to round out sweet, salty, bitter and sour. The Japanese scientist who discovered it also named it, and the name loosely translates to “deliciousness.” Umame—pronounced like “OO-ma-may”—is found in beef, mushrooms, garlic and other items. Google it sometime if you’re interested.
This is my umame version of mashed potatoes because it contains roasted garlic and truffle oil, which turns this wonderful comfort food into the ultimate in deliciousness.
Before cooking the potatoes, start the garlic roasting in the oven. Slice the top off of a head of garlic (or more if you want to reserve some for other uses) and place it in an oven-safe dish. Do NOT peel the garlic. Sprinkle salt & pepper on top and drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, until the garlic cloves turn caramel-colored and the house smells like garlic.
Start cooking the potatoes using either method (water or chicken broth) when there are about 10 minutes left on the garlic.
Remove the garlic from the dish and allow to cool. Squeeze the cloves from their papery skin into a clean dish or directly into the potatoes if you’ve already drained them. Rice or mash the garlic with the potatoes, adding the cream or butter (if using) and salt & pepper, plus 1-2 teaspoons of truffle oil into the mixture while mashing. Heavenly.
