Mashed Potatoes are Polarizing
And I'm getting yelled at about mine
New here? Hi! If you want to get right down to business, scroll down for the video link and allllllll the way to the bottom for the recipe.
I didn’t originally intend to post this newsletter a few hours after my Mashed Potatoes video went public, but I’m kinda glad it worked out that way. People have been yelling at me since 11 A.M. on YouTube, which is always entertaining. At least I get to address the mutiny over there, over here!
Lots of people are leaving the “you made soup” comment. (Shout out to @livelifehappy2 for putting things in perspective: celery does not belong in mashed potatoes!) This “soupy" complaint brings up so much. Honestly, it brings up one thing: there is no one way to make mashed potatoes. Which is why so many of us have recipes for them! Choices, choices, choices. And the finished texture is definitely on the list: you may go for chunky, silky smooth, somewhere in between, passed through a tamis, crushed with a fork, whipped with electric beaters. This is the joy of cooking, truly. Have it your way!
My way is silky smooth and runny like quick sand. You know the song—O beautiful for potato flesh, for buttery waves of spuds, for burbling mountain majesties, above the butter’d sky! That song?
If you don’t like it so soupy luscious, don’t add as much dairy. It’s that simple!
Thank you @Acflnnr for reading the fine print!
Other choices I have made: the potato. In the past, I was a fingerling enthusiast, because that’s what we used at Union Pacific, where we also put the puree through a fine mesh sieve called a tamis so they had about as much texture as the Queen’s silk pillowcases. That’s my reference point.
But when I set out to institutionalize the potatoes I’ve been making yearly for 20 years at my own family’s Thanksgiving, they came out … weird. The texture wasn’t right. Also, they were SO annoying to peel by myself, and I realized that I always have help from both of my children for the peeling part. I can’t write a recipe for you that requires 3 pairs of hands, so I changed to the good ol’ Russet. Great potato flavor. Available everywhere. Makes for a fluffy mash. Big, easy to peel. Done and done. (If you want to use German Butterballs, as Molly and I did in BA’s Making Perfect Thanksgiving recipe, go for it. They can be hard to find, which is the only reason I didn’t stay loyal and true to that variety.)
I usually boil the potatoes, but I borrowed a trick from Making Perfect and chose to roast. This concentrates their flavor, frees up your stovetop, and saves a pot. Whether you boil, steam, or roast, make sure to get the flesh dispatched as quickly as possible. Cold potatoes = gummy potatoes.
Finally, the dairy.
Heavy cream is too much. Not enough butter is too sad. Milk and butter is just right. Infusing the dairy mixture with seasonings, herbs, and aromatics is an easy way to introduce flavor that will carry through the entire finished dish.
The shade.
Honestly, keep commenting. It’s great for my engagement!
Oh! A compliment followed by a criticism. They cancel each other out, except I will remember the compliment. That’s a lie, I only ever remember the criticisms.
Okay fine, how do YOU want me to make your mashed potatoes????
xoCLM
ps It’s time to order your Thanksgiving turkey, if you haven’t already!
