thefoodlessprocessed

“My father was especially fond of mashed potatoes, but there was always an argument when he came to eat them.

“Pass the butter, ‘Miry.”

“You don’t need butter for your potatoes, ‘Lije. There’s half a cup o’ butter and as much cream in’ em.”

“Well what if the’ is. I can’t see it can I? I want to see my butter.”

…So the argument came up and died down, and appeared again rhythmically with the return of the dish. It was not the amount of butter used that my mother contended, it was the dressing of a dish already properly prepared–an offense to her culinary art.” (Della T. Lutes from The Country Kitchen (1936).

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A food mill or hand masher both make good mashed potatoes. Mashing in a mixer or food processor will overwork the potatoes and turn them into a gluey paste. The reason is within the potato. It contains a lot of starch granules which swell and soften as the potato cooks. If you mash lightly with a masher or food mill, just enough granules break up to release a little starch and give the potato a creamy texture. A mixer or processor releases too much starch with unfortunate results.

The less processed ingredient options are described here: Milk, Nutmeg, Butter, Vegetables.

Equipment

• a Large Pot (8 quarts/7.5 liters or thereabout) and Lid
• a Food Mill or Hand Masher
• a Small, Heavy-Bottomed Pot
• a Wooden Spoon
• a Heavy Pot with a Lid to mix and keep warm the mashed potatoes: This recipe uses an Oval Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven (5.5 qt/5.2 liters).
• a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate) is optional. The pot does not sit directly over the heat source. The potatoes can reheat slowly and are less likely to scorch. Some brands may be used on smooth-top burners.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1.36 kg) of Unpeeled Russet Potatoes or any variety with a dry texture
• about 1 cup of Whole Milk (240 ml) and a little more if the potatoes will not be served at once and are reheated
• 4 Tablespoons of Salted Butter (56 g)
• Freshly Ground Pepper and Organic Nutmeg to taste

Cooking and Mashing the Potatoes

• Heat the milk and butter together in the small pot and reserve it.
• Place the unpeeled potatoes in the large pot and cover them with water. Boil them until they are tender. Drain them.
• Place the food mill over the top of the pot that will hold the mashed potatoes.
• Remove the skins from the potatoes. Run them, a few at a time, through the food mill using the medium-sized disc, or mash them with the masher. Repeat until all the potatoes are broken up into a fairly smooth, dry mash.
• Reheat the milk and butter if necessary. Add a portion of the liquid and work it in with the wooden spoon. The potatoes absorb the liquid. Adding the milk and butter a bit at a time allows you to control the consistency. You can always add a little more liquid to a stiff mixture, but you can’t make wet mashed potatoes dryer.
• Add fresh ground pepper and nutmeg to taste.
• If the potatoes are not served right away, they will dry slightly as they sit. Place the pot on the flame tamer. Pour a little milk around the rim of the potatoes and reheat over a low flame just before serving. Adding some milk will bring the potatoes back to the right consistency.