I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.

I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
they were lumpy.

Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
I guess I need milk, right?

How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 09:39:24a, cybercat meant to say...

> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
> butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Use cream.

> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
(I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

"Wayne Boatwright" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
3.184...
> Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 09:39:24a, cybercat meant to say...
>
>> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>> they were lumpy.
>>
>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>
> Use cream.
>
>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
> I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
> (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
> cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
> clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
> much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.
>
Well, here's the Austrian version :

1 kilo potatos
100 grams butter
1/4 litre milk
salt, nutmeg

Peel potatos, cook them in sal****er (with cumin seeds, optional), until
very soft.
Drain the water, leave potatos in the pot (without lid) for some minutes.
Heat milk (do not bring to boil).
Puree them with a kitchen mixer, stir in the butter, season with salt and
nutmeg. Stir in milk until you have the consistency you like.
I never had lumps in my Erdäpfelpüree.

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
>
>

Get a decent masher. Those old wire things always leave lumps. I have a
nylon one I got at Target that has holes and it really mashes them. Butter
and cream make the best mashed potatoes. Another thing I do is let them
drain in the colander until they look dry.

Ms P

Ms P said...

>
> "cybercat" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago,
>> and they were lumpy.
>>
>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>>
>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>>
>>
>>
>
> Get a decent masher. Those old wire things always leave lumps. I have
> a nylon one I got at Target that has holes and it really mashes them.
> Butter and cream make the best mashed potatoes. Another thing I do is
> let them drain in the colander until they look dry.
>
> Ms P
>
>

cybercat wrote:
> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.

You can make them for me then. I like them lumpy.

My MIL puts them in her kitchenaid mixer for 10 minutes (it seems like).
They're all pasty and stuff.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
> I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Butter, half and half, a pinch of S&P...then I roughly mash.
>
>
>


--
-Gina in Italy

http://www.myspace.com/ravenlynne1975
I'm a blogger: http://ravenwolflodge.blogspot.com

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:39:24 -0500, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
>I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>they were lumpy.
>
>Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
>I guess I need milk, right?
>
>How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
>
Sometimes I add a little orange juice.

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 9/16

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

<koko> wrote in message ...
> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:39:24 -0500, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>>I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>>they were lumpy.
>>
>>Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>>butter.
>>I guess I need milk, right?
>>
>>How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>>
>>
> Sometimes I add a little orange juice.
>

hmmm ... how does it turn out?

"Ms P" > wrote:
> Get a decent masher. Those old wire things always leave lumps. I have a
> nylon one I got at Target that has holes and it really mashes them.
> Butter and cream make the best mashed potatoes. Another thing I do is let
> them drain in the colander until they look dry.
>

My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
overbeating them and they turned gray.

Also, the milk or cream (maybe half and half?) should be warm, right?

cybercat wrote:
> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
> I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
>
>
I like lumpy. Whipped potatoes are usually space food that you get at
the big box restaurant.

I usually use yukon golds and cut them up with the skins on. Boil until
tender, drain, add butter, milk and a little nutmeg and smash them with
a masher.

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Ms P" > wrote:
>> Get a decent masher. Those old wire things always leave lumps. I have a
>> nylon one I got at Target that has holes and it really mashes them.
>> Butter and cream make the best mashed potatoes. Another thing I do is
>> let them drain in the colander until they look dry.
>>
>
> My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
> overbeating them and they turned gray.
>
> Also, the milk or cream (maybe half and half?) should be warm, right?

I don't warm the milk or cream. I tried it a few times and couldn't tell
any difference so I don't bother. I've used a mixer a few times to make
mashed when I had a lot to make. Most of the time on holidays I have either
my husband or one of my sons mash for awhile and then I finish them.

Ms P

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:39:24 -0500, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
>I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>they were lumpy.
>
>Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
>I guess I need milk, right?
>
>How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
Well, it's for a crowd so peel them *first*, then quarter. Put the
potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and boil gently until fork
tender.

I dump out the water (reserving a little for making gravy later), put
them back into the hot pot, back on the burner (which is now turned
off) and let them dry out a few minutes.

I use an old fashioned potato ricer to mash
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/image...6L._AA280_.jpg, but I
don't do 5 pounds at a time. A potato masher
http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes...potmash-02.jpg will
probably be a better tool for your amount. After that, throw in your
butter. You can use up to the entire pound (start with 1/2 a pound) -
heck, it's only one day. You can heat the milk or not too. I don't.
Use a very small amount and whip by stirring the potatoes vigorously
with the tool you used to mash them with. Dribble in a little more
liquid if you think they are too dry. Be careful not to add too much
liquid or you'll end up with wallpaper paste. Making fluffy mashed
potatoes is really a quick thing to do, so don't make it into a big
production. That's a surefire recipe for disaster.

After typing all that, I discovered eHow has the method with pictures.
LOL http://www.ehow.com/how_2645_mash-potatoes.html

Oh, since you've never done this before... I suggest that you practice
once or twice (on smaller amounts) before Thanksgiving.


--
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On Nov 11, 9:55 am, "cybercat" > wrote:
>
> My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
> overbeating them and they turned gray.

Stand and hand mixers are convenient for large quantities but they run
a severe risk of creating a gummy, pasty mess. For light, airy
potatoes without lumps the ricer is the way to go. It's more trouble
but definitely worth the effort. Put the well-drained/dried potatoes
through the ricer, add butter and cream/milk, and finish with just a
few strokes of the wooden spoon. The potatoes will float off the
spoon like a cloud.
>
> Also, the milk or cream (maybe half and half?) should be warm, right?

You can easily warm them in the microwave, if it's convenient. By the
time the whole T-Day meal gets to the table, though, it's a lost cause
trying to keep the potatoes hot. Way more important, and easier to
accomplish, is to make sure the gravy is really hot. That's what
matters..... -aem

<sf> wrote
>>
> Well, it's for a crowd so peel them *first*, then quarter. Put the
> potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and boil gently until fork
> tender.
>
[snips]

I appreciate your taking the time to type all of that in! Thanks.
I will do exactly that.

Tell me this, do you use the potato water instead of flour or
in addition to it, for your gravy?

Thre is no substitute for elbow grease and finding the masher that suits
you.

Make sure the spuds are cooked but not mushy. Use a hand masher and add
milk, salted butter and/or virgin oil oil.

Use of a mixer/blender makes pureed spuds which is a totally different
dish and is possibly OK under certain, limited circumstances

Steve

cybercat wrote:
> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
> I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
>
>

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 09:39:24a, cybercat meant to say...
>
>> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>> they were lumpy.
>>
>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>
> Use cream.
>
>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
> I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
> (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
> cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
> clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
> much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.

Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project - http://improve-usenet.org

"cybercat" wrote

> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.

Hey, I *like* them lumpy. In fact, we like them with the peel still on.

> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
> butter. I guess I need milk, right?

Not the optimal type of potato for this but they will work. Since you like
them 'unlumpy' peel first.

>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Boil that 5 lbs chopped up after peeling. How long depends on how much you
cut them up. You can leave them whole too (takes longer but works better
with idahos). Done when a fork slides in easy and they no longer taste
'raw'. If you wish a delightful but *small* flavor boost, add 1 cube
chicken stock to the boiling water but be aware it will slightly color the
potatoes.

Dump them in a collander and let drip til it stops then put them back in the
pot. You dont want them to get too cold. (If you are going to use a mixer,
heat the bowl before adding the potatoes. The rest of my instructions are
without a mixer).

Add 1 stick softened butter and 1/2 cup sour cream (can use low or no fat
sour cream if desired). Do *not* use margarine or 'whipped butter' as both
are filled with water (up to 50%) and you'll get weapy whimpy mashed
potatoes. Start stirring this with a large fork, mashing a bit as you go.
As they start looking dry, you can add any of these to it then cointinue:
heavy cream (no sugar added! We arent talking coffeemate here!), more
butter, whole milk (reduced fat will work but not as well).

I like mine thick and lumpy so I stop stirring earlier than you will and i
use at most 1/2 cup cream (adding more sour cream or butter to smoothe). Be
careful to not overmix. I almost never use milk but prefer the heavy cream.

Variations: Garlic or chive types, melt 1/2 that first stick of butter with
minced garlic or chives (or both) then use it in the initial stages. Don't
get too heavy of a hand there as most folks want mostly potato with only a
little garlic or chive flavor.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:02:02 -0600, "readandpostrosie"
> wrote:

>
>
>"George" > wrote in message
>> I usually use yukon golds and cut them up with the skins on. Boil until
>> tender, drain, add butter, milk and a little nutmeg and smash them with a
>> masher.
>
>way to go george................leave those VITAMIN PACKED skins on!

I prefer twice baked myself. Best of both worlds.

Lou

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:36:22 +0100, Steve Y >
wrote:

>Thre is no substitute for elbow grease and finding the masher that suits
>you.

Yes there is. It's called a ricer. Wayne and aem have mentioned it
also.

Lou

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 02:39:33p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 09:39:24a, cybercat meant to say...
>>
>>> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>>
>>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago,
>>> and they were lumpy.
>>>
>>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>>
>> Use cream.
>>
>>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>>
>> I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of
>> mashing. (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired
>> butter, and add cream until the right consistency. I often boil the
>> potatoes with a fresh clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to
>> the pot. I'm also not much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed
>> potatoes. Depends on the meal.
>
> Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
> potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.
>
>

I would like it. I'm not fond of the huge amounts of roasted garlic that
seems to still be a trend these days. I like roasted garlic, just not in
the amounts that some people use in mashed potatotes.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>

I never use milk, I use some of the leftover cooking water. Can't remember
where I heard this technique, but I like the results a lot better. I
sometimes add a little cream cheese or sour cream if I have it.
I also use a ricer. Waxy like Yukon Gold, redskins, or regular old white
potatoes work better than Idahos,which are more suited to baking or frying -
I find they fall apart as they boil.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:54:37 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 02:39:33p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>
>>> Use cream.
>>>
>>> I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of
>>> mashing. (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired
>>> butter, and add cream until the right consistency. I often boil the
>>> potatoes with a fresh clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to
>>> the pot. I'm also not much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed
>>> potatoes. Depends on the meal.
>>
>> Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
>> potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.
>>
>
>I would like it. I'm not fond of the huge amounts of roasted garlic that
>seems to still be a trend these days. I like roasted garlic, just not in
>the amounts that some people use in mashed potatotes.

I love roasted garlic and I love garlic fries, but I still don't
understand the allure of garlic mashed potatoes.

--
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 02:39:33p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...
>
>> Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
>> potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.
>
> I would like it. I'm not fond of the huge amounts of roasted garlic that
> seems to still be a trend these days. I like roasted garlic, just not in
> the amounts that some people use in mashed potatotes.

I routinely use garlic, too. Probably more than you'd like.

I don't peel the taters.

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project - http://improve-usenet.org

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:39:18p, meant to say...

> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:54:37 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 02:39:33p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Use cream.
>>>>
>>>> I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of
>>>> mashing. (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired
>>>> butter, and add cream until the right consistency. I often boil the
>>>> potatoes with a fresh clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to
>>>> the pot. I'm also not much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed
>>>> potatoes. Depends on the meal.
>>>
>>> Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
>>> potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.
>>>
>>
>>I would like it. I'm not fond of the huge amounts of roasted garlic that
>>seems to still be a trend these days. I like roasted garlic, just not in
>>the amounts that some people use in mashed potatotes.
>
> I love roasted garlic and I love garlic fries, but I still don't
> understand the allure of garlic mashed potatoes.
>

I like just a hint. I often spear a whole clove of garlic and throw it in
the pot with the potatoes. It doesn't give a lot of flavor, but it's a
nice soft addition.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:40:56p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 02:39:33p, Blinky the Shark meant to say...
>>
>>> Sometimes I saute some chopped onion and add that when I mix the
>>> potatoes. That'll probably set off the purists.
>>
>> I would like it. I'm not fond of the huge amounts of roasted garlic
that
>> seems to still be a trend these days. I like roasted garlic, just not
in
>> the amounts that some people use in mashed potatotes.
>
> I routinely use garlic, too. Probably more than you'd like.
>
> I don't peel the taters.
>

No, I would like a lot, nor would I like the unpeeled potatoes. :-)

I like my mashed potatoes creamy, but firm, with no "foreign" pieces of
things in them. Yeah, I know the peel is part of the potato, but I still
don't like it mixed in. I'm not overly fond of unpeeled french fries,
either.

OTOH, one of my favorite parts of a baked potato is the skin. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:48:43 GMT, Lou Decruss > wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:02:02 -0600, "readandpostrosie"
> wrote:
>
>>"George" > wrote in message
>>> I usually use yukon golds and cut them up with the skins on. Boil until
>>> tender, drain, add butter, milk and a little nutmeg and smash them with a
>>> masher.
>>
>>way to go george................leave those VITAMIN PACKED skins on!
>
>I prefer twice baked myself. Best of both worlds.
>

I like them all, in fact I'm making twice baked today.


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cybercat > wrote:

> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

You want perfect? Here you are. It takes some serious work, though.

Here is a recipe for the famous mashed potatoes by Joël Robuchon I
posted a year or two ago. It is from _Simply French_ by Patricia Wells,
complete with her comments. I've made it once and it was probably the
best mashed potatoes I've ever had, not excluding those I got served at
Robuchon's restaurant. I won't make them again, though - no matter the
result - as the effort is really disproportionate.... YMMV.

Victor

Potato Purée
Purée de Pommes de Terre

Ever homey, ever elegant, ever irresistible, this is the dish that
helped make chef Robuchon's reputation. Clever man that he is, he
realized early on that if you give people potatoes, potatoes, and more
potatoes, they'll be eternally grateful, forever fulfilled. These are,
of course, no ordinary mashed potatoes, but a purée that is softened
with an avalanche of butter and mellowed with bubbly boiling milk. The
quantity of butter and milk needed for a successfully silken and satiny
purée will vary according to the potatoes and the season. Early-season
potatoes will be firmer, demanding more butter and milk for a perfectly
soft, almost fluffy purée.

The keys here are potatoes of uniform size (so they are uniformly
cooked), and a strong arm for drying the potatoes with a flat wooden
spatula. Be sure that the butter is well chilled, for it will help make
a finer, smoother purée. Also follow the proportions of salt to water
when cooking the potatoes: You won't be able to make up for it with
additional salt at the end. I agree, this is a lot of work for a simple
potato purée. But once you taste the results, you'll agree that your
labor has been pleasantly rewarded. For exceptionally rich potatoes,
the quantity of butter may be doubled.

EQUIPMENT: A food mill; a flat fine-mesh (drum) sieve

2 pounds potatoes, such as Idaho Russets
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk
About 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces
Sea salt to taste

1. Scrub the potatoes, but do not peel them. Place the potatoes in a
large pot, add salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to
cover by at least 1 inch. Simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat until a
knife inserted into a potato comes away easily, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain
the potatoes as soon as they are cooked. (If they are allow to cool in
the water, the potatoes will end up tasting reheated.)

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over
high heat. Set aside.

3. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Pass
the potatoes through the finest grid of a food mill into a large
heavy-bottomed saucepan set over low heat. With a wooden spatula, stir
the potatoes vigorously to dry them, 4 to 5 minutes. Now begin adding
about 12 tablespoons of the butter, little by little, stirring
vigorously after each batch of butter is thoroughly incorporated; the
mixture should be fluffy and light. Then slowly add about three fourths
of the hot milk in a thin stream, stirring vigorously until the milk is
thoroughly incorporated.

4. Pass the mixture through a flat fine-mesh (drum) sieve into another
heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir vigorously, and if the puree seems a bit
heavy and stiff, add additional butter and milk, stirring all the while.
Note: few of us have a real French flat bottomed screen for scraping
potato puree. Simply use any mesh sieve you have in the kitchen and
press down on the potato puree as you push it through the sieve. This
second step of puréeing is the true secret behind Chef Robuchon's
recipe. Taste for seasoning. (The purée may be made up to 1 hour in
advance. Place in the top of a double boiler, uncovered over simmering
water. Stir occasionally to keep smooth.)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

On Nov 11, 10:39?am, "cybercat" > wrote:
> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
> they were lumpy.
>
> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of butter.
> I guess I need milk, right?
>
> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?

Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks, and cook till tender( boil them )

Put milk and butter in a pan, heat them, add to potatoes that you
have put through a ricer,

Add salt to taste. Butter is really good, lots of it. Sometimes I
will add some sour cream, even cream cheese.

Eat till you pop.

Rosie

On Nov 11, 1:50 pm, Myrl Jeffcoat > wrote:
> On Nov 11, 8:51 am, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
> > I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
> > (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
> > cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
> > clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
> > much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.
>
> > --
> > Wayne Boatwright
>
> I must admit that I always seemed to over mash the potatoes until they
> were more like paste. Then, a good friend of mine, who emanates from
> "poor white trash" (sorry Nancy), who taught me "properly".
>
> Her potatoes were, and still are the very best I've eaten. I've stood
> by her side a couple of times, while trying to copy her method, but I
> still can't do it as well as she does.
>
> She simply boils the potatoes until tender, drains ALL the water off
> of them in the pot, leaves the lid ajar for about 15 minutes, adds
> condensed milk, a bit of butter, and a tad of salt, then mashes - but
> doesn't over mash, with the electric beater. She never has lumps.
>
> When I was in high school, the cooking teacher taught us to use a
> ricer to mash potatoes, and that worked well too.

The idea that mashed potatoes are better made with canned milk than
cream--or even fresh milk--is laughable.
>
> Myrl Jeffcoat

--Bryan

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:51:17 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>
>Use cream.
>
>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
>I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of mashing.
>(I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired butter, and add
>cream until the right consistency. I often boil the potatoes with a fresh
>clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to the pot. I'm also not
>much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Depends on the meal.

That looks good.

Don't forget to salt them.

Christine

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:23:16 -0600, "Ms P" >
wrote:


Another thing I do is let them
>drain in the colander until they look dry.
>
>Ms P

Julia Child goes a step further.. After they drain, she puts them back
in the pot, over low heat, then starts mashing them there. The heat
dries out the residual moisture left in the potatoes, so you don't
have watery mashed potatoes. This step is really important.

Then, you can start adding butter and cream.

Christine

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:29:27 -0500, "Van" > wrote:


>Got a KitchenAid mixer, by any chance? I use mine to make killer *WHIPPED*
>potatoes using butter & cream, a little salt & white pepper. Not a lump in
>sight. You can also use sour cream or Half & Half if that's what's in your
>fridge.
>
>You could use a hand-held mixer as well - it's just a little more effort, I
>guess.

Ack!! Don't use the kitchenaid!!! It will tend to turn the potatoes
to glue.... Same with a food processor. The hand mixer is better for
this...

Christine

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:58:00p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:51:17 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>>
>>Use cream.
>>
>>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>>
>>I don't use a recipe, however, I do "rice" the potatoes instead of
>>mashing. (I'm not a fan of lumpy mashed potatoes.) Then add desired
>>butter, and add cream until the right consistency. I often boil the
>>potatoes with a fresh clove of garlic, and sometimes add a bay leaf to
>>the pot. I'm also not much of a fan of roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
>> Depends on the meal.
>
> That looks good.
>
> Don't forget to salt them.
>
> Christine
>

Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add salt
while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that point.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:55:18 -0500, "cybercat" >
wrote:


>My mother always used an electric mixer. Trying that is how I wound up
>overbeating them and they turned gray.

Yes, exactly.. Don't use a stand mixer, or a food processor. A hand
mixer on very low speed is okay, but it is too easy to turn them into
glue with a stand mixer. Plus, you really need to mash them in the
pot, where they can dry out from the heat.


Christine

"rosie" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Nov 11, 10:39?am, "cybercat" > wrote:
>> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago, and
>> they were lumpy.
>>
>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>> butter.
>> I guess I need milk, right?
>>
>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>
> Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks, and cook till tender( boil them )
>
> Put milk and butter in a pan, heat them, add to potatoes that you
> have put through a ricer

I think the ricer is the key. Thanks!

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:50:40 GMT, Lou Decruss > wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:36:22 +0100, Steve Y >
>wrote:
>
>>Thre is no substitute for elbow grease and finding the masher that suits
>>you.
>
>Yes there is. It's called a ricer. Wayne and aem have mentioned it
>also.
>
It's not easy to plop a lot of potatoes in a basket and squeeze
http://www.cookware-online.co.uk/ish...0/Kcricerc.jpg. I
have one of those, but I need big hands to span the handle gap and I
need well developed biceps to squeeze the handles together. I prefer
using the "other" kind of ricer with the square grid and a single
handle.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 03:59:58p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:23:16 -0600, "Ms P" >
> wrote:
>
>
> Another thing I do is let them
>>drain in the colander until they look dry.
>>
>>Ms P
>
> Julia Child goes a step further.. After they drain, she puts them back
> in the pot, over low heat, then starts mashing them there. The heat
> dries out the residual moisture left in the potatoes, so you don't
> have watery mashed potatoes. This step is really important.
>
> Then, you can start adding butter and cream.
>
> Christine
>

That's something I always do. Makes a world of difference.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 04:04:32p, cybercat meant to say...

>
> "rosie" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> On Nov 11, 10:39?am, "cybercat" > wrote:
>>> I got roped into doing Thanksgiving dinner.
>>>
>>> I don't do mashed potatoes! I never have. I recall trying years ago,
and
>>> they were lumpy.
>>>
>>> Got five pounds of big, fresh Idaho potatoes at Aldi, and a pound of
>>> butter. I guess I need milk, right?
>>>
>>> How do you make your best mashed potatoes?
>>
>> Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks, and cook till tender( boil them )
>>
>> Put milk and butter in a pan, heat them, add to potatoes that you have
>> put through a ricer
>
> I think the ricer is the key. Thanks!
>
>
>
>
>

If you want perfectly smooth and creamy potatoes, it's probably the best
way. I most often use the ricer, although I sometimes use a hand mixer.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:02:15 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>> Don't forget to salt them.
>>
>> Christine
>>
>
>Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add salt
>while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that point.

Oh, you must be a Julia Child aficionado....LOL. She always liked to
use white pepper... It was funny to watch her and Jacques Pepin go
back and forth on that, cause he liked black pepper, and she used
white pepper. LOL.

Christine

Oh pshaw, on Sun 11 Nov 2007 04:15:35p, Christine Dabney meant to say...

> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:02:15 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
>
>>> Don't forget to salt them.
>>>
>>> Christine
>>>
>>
>>Thanks! I rather heavily salt the cooking water, so rarely have to add
>>salt while mashing, although I do often add some white pepper at that
>>point.
>
> Oh, you must be a Julia Child aficionado....LOL. She always liked to
> use white pepper... It was funny to watch her and Jacques Pepin go
> back and forth on that, cause he liked black pepper, and she used
> white pepper. LOL.
>
> Christine
>

Indeed... I like adding a bit of white pepper while mashing the potatoes.
I also like adding freshly ground black pepper to my serving at the table.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.