Perfect Creamy Lump-Free Mashed Potatoes Every Time

Any true mashed potato aficionado will agree that the most important thing about it is the consistency. You can add any number of flavors--garlic, rosemary, sage, the list goes on--but great mashed potatoes have to be creamy, smooth, and relatively lump-free. What follows is not a recipe, but rather a technique to get the proper mashed potato consistency.

The first thing you have to know is that light, fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes have two enemies: starch and water. Too much of either will make them gooey and gluey, or watery and tasteless. So the main thing to do is to eliminate as much of both components as possible. And the first step is in the selection of potatoes.

Potatoes with too high or too low starch content will not lead to the best results. The so-called "waxy" or "boiling" potatoes like red or white rose have a very high starch content. Baking potatoes like Idaho have a lower starch content. Both are not the best for mashing. Look for Yukon Gold for the ideal mashing potato. (If you can't find them, then the common russet potato will do just fine.) You still need to get rid of some of the starch, so after you peel them, you cut them into pieces. But not just any old pieces, you want to cut them into 1/2-inch discs. Here's why. Discs provide a higher surface area than chunks. This means that more starch can escape from the interior of the potato. So after you cut the discs, let them soak in cold water for about 10 minutes. You will see the water has turned cloudy. This is the excess starch that has leeched out of the potato. Pour out the water and now you're ready to boil.

Replace with fresh water, only enough to cover the potatoes. Bring them to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and are easily pierced with a fork. Now it's time to deal with your second enemy--water. Drain the potatoes and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes. Meanwhile, put the empty pot back on the stove on a very low fire until the water has all evaporated. Put the potatoes back in the pot and leave it on the low flame until they have stopped steaming. It's important that the flame is very low to prevent the potatoes from getting scorched.

When the potatoes have stopped steaming, you have removed as much water as you're going to be able to. Now it's time to mash. Just remember not to over-mash or be too vigorous in your mashing, or the starch in the potatoes will "gelatinize" and become gooey. You can use a potato masher, a ricer, or a food mill to get the consistency you want. This is also the time to add your other ingredients that make a creamy potato--butter and/or cream is the usual preference, but some people like sour cream or milk. Also add salt and pepper to taste and any other flavor that you prefer.

Whatever you do, do not mash the potatoes in a food processor as that will cause the above-mentioned "gelatinization" and your potatoes will be inedible. So to summarize:

1. Choose the right potato.

2. Peel and cut into discs. Soak for ten minutes.

3. Boil until tender. Evaporate as much of the water out as you can.

4. Mash gently with flavor ingredients.

I hope this has been helpful and easy to follow. Since I've been following this method, I've never made a bad batch of mashed potatoes. I'm confident that you won't either.