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Thanksgiving: Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Source of Recipe

"The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"These potatoes are so lush and creamy, they can stand on their own—no gravy necessary. For a substantial mash, the texture of Yukon Golds was perfect—less fluffy than russets but lighter than red potatoes. When it comes to cooking perfect potatoes, there's a fine line between creamy and gluey. Starting the potatoes in cold water helped them cook evenly, intensifying their creamy texture without releasing too much starch into the water. Returning the boiled and drained potatoes to the Dutch oven for a brief cook over a low flame helped further evaporate any excess moisture. Using 1 ½ sticks of butter and 1 ½ cups of heavy cream gave the potatoes luxurious flavor and richness without making the mash too thin. If you prefer an absolutely smooth purée, you can use a food mill or ricer rather than a potato masher in step 2."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced ¾ inch thick
â—¦ Table salt for cooking potatoes
â—¦ 1 ½ cups warm heavy cream
â—¦ 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



Recipe

Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven; add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are fall-apart tender (potatoes break apart when paring knife is inserted and gently wiggled), 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain potatoes and return to now-empty pot. Stir over low heat until potatoes are thoroughly dried, 1 to 2 minutes. Using potato masher, mash potatoes until few small lumps remain.

Combine warm cream and melted butter in bowl, then gently fold mixture into potatoes with rubber spatula until combined and potatoes are thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Serves 8 to 10