The Best Mashed Potato Recipe: A Step by Step Guide to Perfect Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
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Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They’re creamy, they’re carby, and they go perfectly with just about any meat. At their most basic, mashed potatoes are just boiled and mashed up potatoes with some butter and milk added. However, to really get those flavors popping you need to follow a few simple steps to make the best mashed potato recipe possible. So many people end up eating bad mashed potatoes because they think that it’s something that you can’t really improve on – so they don’t try. But trust us when we say that these humble little tubers can be elevated from ho-hum to whoa! That being said, here is the step by step guide for perfect mashed potatoes at home…
Boil and mash
The first step to the best mashed potatoes is, of course, the boiling of the potatoes. Ideally, you want to use a variety that is starchy, like russets or Yukon Golds. The starch in these potatoes gives them a creamy consistency when they’re mashed. When boiling potatoes, use enough water to cover the potatoes by a few inches. Then, add a bit of salt to the water – this will enhance the flavor and help the potatoes keep their shape. The ideal cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes, but it’s generally anywhere from 10-25 minutes.
Seasoning is key
The second step towards the best mashed potatoes is seasoning. Potatoes are a deliciously versatile food, but they do have a fairly strong flavor on their own. If you want to control the flavor of your mashed potatoes, then you’ll have to start with the seasoning. You can choose whether to season the potatoes while they are still whole or after they’ve been mashed. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind that potatoes will lose some of their moisture as they cook. This means that they will be less flavorful and creamy when they’re fully cooked. Therefore, it’s often best to season the potatoes with salt and pepper before boiling and then add other flavorings after they’ve been mashed.
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Add your dairy
Depending on your desired flavor and texture, you may want to add a bit of dairy to your mashed potatoes. A lot of people prefer to add a bit of butter, but if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, you can also try adding a splash of heavy cream. If you decide to add butter, you’ll want to add it at the same time as the seasoning. However, if you decide to use heavy cream, you’ll want to wait until the very end, as the high temperature of the butter will cause the dairy to curdle. If you add dairy, consider how much you add carefully. A little bit of dairy goes a long way and can quickly turn your potatoes into globs of goo.
Give it a spin in the oven
The third step towards the best mashed potatoes is to give them a quick spin in the oven. After you’ve mashed the potatoes, you’ll want to place them in a hot oven to help dry them out and give them a nice crisp on the surface. This will help dry out the potatoes, which will result in a fluffier mash. You can also place them under the broiler, but remember to keep a close eye on them as they can quickly go from browned to burnt.