Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <potatoes><mash>
Title: How can I make a silky smooth, rich mash?
Question: What are the key factors in making silky smooth (non gluey) mashed potatoes.   What technique has the best results?

Answers:
sents: text: Here is how we made pomme puree at the restaurant I used to work at, for a very well known (in Canada anyway) French chef: Peel and boil as many potatoes as you need.
text: Cook until slightly underdone.
text: Run the potatoes through a ricer/food mill.
text: Then--this is key--scrape the result through a tami--a very fine mesh sieve.
text: Most often used for sifting flour.
text: Usually about 14-18" diameter, looks like a drum.
text: Return resulting potato to a pot, add melted butter, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg to your desired consistency, stirring all the time.
text: If not serving immediately, chill as fast as possible, and reheat to order in a pan using a little more cream to loosen it up.
text: IMPORTANT: you must work as fast as possible; the potatoes need to stay hot the whole time or will become gluey.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 13
sents: text: Here's how I make mine, which I like and got my wife eating mashed potatoes for the first time since childhood.
text: I steam the potatoes rather than boil them, which results in something that tastes more like potatoes than the boiling version and avoids the waterlogged problem that mis-timing the boiling can bring.
text: Peeled and cut into chunks, I steam until tender.
text: I either just use a masher and enjoy the few leftover chunks or I use a ricer to mash them into the large bowl.
text: Then I add just a bit of butter, a few dollops of fat-free sour cream and then start adding milk.
text: I keep adding milk and mixing by hand until they're creamy, which, based on what I've seen in other recipes, etc.
text: is quite a bit more milk than is typical.
text: They even reheat fairly well.
text: Of course, I could just be deluding myself and mine
text: are among the worst, most gluey around.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/104/J Wynia
score: 6
sents: text: Many chefs swear by using a potato ricer instead of a mixer; it is said to be less likely to rupture the cell walls and produce glueyness.
text: I just bought one, so I'll let you know how it works.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1393/Michael Natkin
score: 5
sents: text: I find using Yukon gold potatoes work best, be sure to boil until tender all the way through.
text: Don't over beat with a mixer, use medium speed, and add softened butter.
text: Milk, cream, or sour cream will also increase the creaminess without making mashed potatoes sticky.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1769/Jenn
score: 3
sents: text: here's what I do, and I make mine different than most people here: Boil skin on when slightly over done run under cold water and deskin pan fry
text: the existing pealed potatoes season with salt pepper, and
text: whatever else you like ( i like cayenne and usually infused the oil with garlic
text: then take it out) when the potatoes are hot mash slightly and add a bit of cream stir like crazy (off heat)
text: add a bit of olive oil put back on heat repeat process until you got it silky enough for your liking
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/87/dassouki
score: 2
sents: text: The kosher version:I slice the potatoes as thinly as possible then add them to a pot with boiling water and a little salt.
text: When the water begins to boil, I cover the pot and lower the heat (to prevent the water from boiling over).
text: Then I slice, dice and fry an onion.
text: When the onion has reached a nice brown colour, I stop frying and put the onions (and any remaining oil) into a mixing dish.
text: I then take the potatoes off the heat and strain them, washing them to remove excess starch.
text: I add the potatoes to the mixing bowl, add two spoonfuls of mayonnaise (normally 5% fat) and about 1/4 cup olive oil.
text: Then I mash and mix.
text: On top of the potatoes I scatter paprika.
text: If it were up to me, I would also add some sliced parsley, but the family doesn't like that.
text: I prefer to put the mashed potatoes (uncovered) into the oven for about half an hour at 75 centigrade, which dries them out and then use the oven's grill for a further ten minutes.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3469/No'am Newman
score: 0
sents: text: I can't say this is the best way, but it is different...
text: I use a slow cooker to make supper, anyway, so I wrap some potatoes in aluminum foil and stick them on top of the chicken (or whatever)
text: that's in the stoneware.
text: When it's time to eat, I take the potatoes out, peel them, and mash with a fork into a bowl.
text: Then I stir in some hot water and a little salt, or some of the gravy from whatever was cooking in the crockpot.
text: It comes out really good, and it's very simple :)
text: I don't think it's gluey at all...
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4198/chama
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Choose suitable potatoes like Yukon Gold and cook until slightly underdone, but not hard in the middle. Steaming can prevent the potatoes from becoming waterlogged, and using a ricer rather than mixer makes rupturing the cell walls less likely.
Boil or steam potatoes until slightly underdone. Run them through a ricer while they are still hot. Add milk or cream for extra creaminess.