Mashed potatoes are a side dish that needs no introduction, so I won’t go into detail except to say – for those who have never tried making it at home – that it is a really easy preparation and that, you’ll see, it will have nothing to do with the ready-made or dehydrated potato flakes mashed potatoes you find in the supermarket.
Follow me, below I give you all the tips to make a perfect mashed potatoes!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for preparing MASHED POTATOES
- 2.2 lbs potatoes
- 1 cup milk (or less depending on your taste and type of potatoes)
- 3.5 tbsp butter
- to taste salt
- to taste nutmeg
Tools for preparing MASHED POTATOES
- 1 Potato Masher
Steps for preparing MASHED POTATOES
Before starting the recipe steps, here’s a small note: in almost all mashed potato recipes, you’ll see the recommendation to boil the potatoes whole and with the skin on; this is because it’s the most effective way to ensure the potatoes absorb as little water as possible during cooking.
My advice is this: if you have time proceed this way, by washing the whole potatoes (as evenly sized as possible) with the skin still on; place them in a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil; cook them for about 40 minutes or until you can easily insert a fork into the potatoes. Then peel them while still hot and mash.
However, from my experience, I can guarantee that, by peeling them raw, cutting them into chunks of about 1 inch and immersing them in boiling water until cooked (about 15 minutes), you will get an absolutely exceptional mashed potatoes all the same, perhaps requiring a slightly lesser amount of milk than indicated.
Similarly, in my opinion, the quality of the potatoes makes little difference unless, in my view, both gnocchi and mashed potatoes made with red potatoes turn out too floury. Obviously, it depends on your taste, but these are my necessary tips based on my experience.
Now let’s move on to the description of the procedure!
First of all, prepare a large pot full of water and put it on the heat. The water should come to a boil.
In the meantime, peel the potatoes removing any black parts and cut them into chunks of about 1 inch.
When the water boils, salt it and pour in the potatoes. Cook them completely, it will take about 15 minutes, but always check the cooking degree with a fork before turning off the heat.
Drain the potatoes directly with a colander and, while still hot, start mashing them with the potato masher into a large pot that can go on the heat, i.e., the one you have just used to boil the potatoes.
Note: If you like very smooth mashed potatoes, my advice is to pass the puree through the potato masher a second time.
Note: Very important, please do NOT use the immersion blender instead of the potato masher, the blades will release the starch present in the potatoes, resulting in an extremely sticky mashed potatoes, which is not pleasant to the palate.
Turn on the heat to low and start stirring (with a wooden spoon if possible) while pouring in the milk, which should be added a little at a time to adjust the quantities if necessary, according to your taste regarding the final consistency of the mashed potatoes.
Once you have achieved the consistency you like most, turn off the heat, adjust the salt, add a pinch of nutmeg if you like and, always with the heat off but while the mashed potatoes are still hot, also add the butter and stir until it is completely melted.
Your perfect MASHED POTATOES are ready, serve immediately to enjoy while hot.
Tips and Storage
If you want a richer and more flavorful mashed potatoes, you can add, along with the butter, two or three tablespoons of grated Parmesan and, why not, some diced cooked ham.
Mashed potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.
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