Velvet Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Tyler's Ultimate | Clarkson Potter, 2006

I’ve been cooking for a long time, and if there’s one thing I know how to cook really well, it’s mashed potatoes. Mine are smooth and extra-rich, like a coat of warm velvet across your tongue. The secret to making delicious potatoes is a simple tool called a ricer. Once the potatoes are cooked, the ricer breaks them down to a dry, snowy powder that you reconstitute with cream and butter. The resulting puree is excellent with everything from sea scallops to sautéed pork chops. Or even just with a big spoon.–Tyler Florence

LC Mashing in Advance Note

We tend to defer to Julia Child on most things involving butter and cream, so when she has a technique she swears by for making mashed potatoes in advance, we listen. Her tactic was to simply place the pot of finished mash atop another pot of gently simmering water and cover them partially, using a wooden spoon stuck in the pot to keep the lid slightly ajar. When it comes time to serve, she’d take a peek and, if they looked a little dry, add a little extra cream and butter for good measure. Works for us.

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Serves 4

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Ingredients

3 large (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.
2. While the potatoes cook, warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat.
3. Drain the potatoes and pass them through a food mill or a ricer into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter, mixing just until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir in a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Smashed Potatoes with Crème Fraîche from The Kitchn
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese Breadcrumbs from Cookin' Canuck
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables from Leite's Culinaria
Fork-Mashed Potatoes from Leite's Culinaria