Rustic Mashed Potatoes
by Pamela Anderson
These are the real deal—creamy, buttery potatoes that get great texture from leaving the skins on. If you use a ricer or food mill to mash the potatoes there will be small bits of skin in the finished dish. If you use a stand mixer, the skin will be in larger pieces.
Serves twelve.
5 lb. medium russet (Idaho) potatoes, scrubbed
2-1/2 cups half-and-half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
Tip: Russets are your best choice for fluffy mashed potatoes, due to their high starch content. Keeping the skin on adds flavor, texture, and nutrients.
Put the whole unpeeled potatoes in an 8-quart pot and add enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a skewer or toothpick, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into chunks and pass them through a food mill or a ricer into a large heatproof bowl. Alternatively, put them in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cover the mixing bowl with a towel to contain any splashes and mix on low speed until mostly smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the half-and-half, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper and mix the potatoes by hand with a wooden spoon until smooth, light, and fluffy. Stir in the butter until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make Ahead Tips
To keep warm for up to 2 hours, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it over (but not in) a pan of barely simmering water.
Variations
Buttermilk & Chive Mashed Potatoes: Substitute 1-1/2 cups buttermilk (heated) for the half-and-half. Increase butter to 7 oz. (14 Tbs.). After adding the butter, stir in 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories
(kcal):
290;
Fat
(g):
16;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
140;
Saturated Fat
(g):
10;
Protein
(g):
6;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
4;
Carbohydrates
(g):
33;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
0.5;
Sodium
(mg):
340;
Cholesterol
(mg):
45;
Fiber
(g):
3;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 101
, pp. 33
September 3, 2009
