How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes

How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes Okay. For me, mashed potato is the ultimate comfort food. Love the mashed potato and I want to show you how to make it which pretty much going to be full proof. I am going to show you a few tricks here to avoid some of the common mistakes and pitfalls. First of all, you use russet potato, Idaho russet potato has the perfect texture and starchiness to make this come out really nice. I got three of them, that are half of stick of butter, unsalted, some salt, some white pepper in my case. Now, you use black pepper if you want. You use red pepper if you want. I would like to use white pepper for mine, that is a half of cup of whole milk, and I want to figure out though this will do it and here maybe the most important thing, a wire masher. But get that style that is the best one. There are a lot of styles out there. That’s no good, do not use that. Don’t use that one either, that is no good, and that, what the hell is that? Do not use that. Alright, maybe the most important tip I am going to show you here, most people cut there potato into chunks, alright. They cut that potato in like 8 pieces. Not a good idea, take each potato and simply cut it in half lengthwise. Take you time; get the perfect center of the potato, and then one cut down. That is going to give you a really even shape to cook. It is going to cook way more evenly than if you try to cut those in quarters or eights, because the more cuts the more room for error, okay. And what happens if you have small pieces from the ends, for example, they will start to break up and then you will have starchy water and then it does not come up good. So that is my recommended method for cutting the potato. Also, don’t forget to salt the water, okay. That is two tablespoons of salt, seems like a lot, but that’s going to the potatoes start sucking that salt in, start to flavor. Also, another mistake, do not cook this in a rolling boil, okay. So it is supposed to look like a washing machine. It is supposed to look like just a gentle simmer. So I want you to look at those bubbles. See, they are just breaking the surface. Again, it is not just sitting in warm water, some people have it too low, but that is just about perfect, just nice gentle simmer. After about 20 to 25 minutes, I was pretty much tender with my potatoes. Again, air in the side of a little slightly bit overcooked versus undercooked. Undercooked, you will never going to get rid of those lumps, okay. So I drain mine, I let them drain for a good minute, all right. I dump them back in the pot. No matter how well you drain them, you are still going to have a little bit of water with sneaks back in there. That is why you see I have my heat on high, and I am just cook enough for 30 seconds. I am just going to leave those potatoes in the pot. Get your masher ready, and you are going to see, I am going to turn off the heat here in a second. That 30 seconds, you are going to see the steam actually come wisping up from the bottom, is wisping a word? I do not know. There you go, see the wisp of steam that would have been water at the bottom would have not been good. Okay, now here is a very important technique, take your masher. With straight down motion, two lefts around the pot. Notice how I am keeping my masher against the edge of the pot, so I am not missing any stocks, just two lefts and its done okay, that’s it, their was dry potato theirs no ingredients in there yet, you want to break up first to lefts, restrain yourself okay, now that was the first mush. Second mush were going to put in our butter half of stick and where going to mush that it again, where using straight down motion I’m going to mush right on the top of the butter couple times your break it up. Okay, I’m going to go around maybe 3 or 4 lefts again in that whippy it, I’m just going straight down, I’m just breaking up the potato that butter is being absorbing to those beautiful starchy rescind okay, again, they have the perfect texture for masher in my opinion. Okay, it’s not working with red potatoes with skin, okay. If you like those go ahead. This is enough to that method though. Alright, that was three lefts around again there’s no milk, there’s no any liquid yet which is our next addition so you got pour in your half of cup of milk. Now we’re going to do a little bit of stirring, okay. So give a nice pick stir again I’m not using a nonstick pan I suggest use your stainless steel non-stick is really you don’t want that metal masher rubbing against the nonstick. So I’m using them nonstick and that’s it for the masher, okay I’m not using the masher anymore, I’m going to add my salt and pepper and the last mix here is going to be with wire whipped. Okay. The main problem with mashed potato people over mix them, over whipped them. The more you whipped it the gluer and stickier they get so this is just going to be literally about 15 seconds just to mix that salt and pepper, whatever I missed any other piece of a potato that is totally breaking up and this is going to result in incredibly floppy light just delicious textured mashed potato. I’m a mashed potatoes freak so they got be perfect you know give a little taste at here just salt and pepper, did need anything perfect, okay. And that’s it, put on the plate, little piece of butter on top and a fresh thyme in the garden, its just doesn’t get any better than that. Anyway, I know the Hollandaise are coming up to probably going to making some mashed potatoes so I hope you try those methods and I think their going to work for you enjoy!