Potatoes are one of the primary starches on the table in most homes. Everything from mashed potatoes to roasted potatoes and fancy gratins.
Knowing the starch level in potatoes determines the best way to prepare them.
High starch potatoes like russets are great for baking, mashing, or making French fries – they don’t hold their shape, are very creamy, and have a tendency to get waterlogged.
Medium starch potatoes or all-purpose potatoes have more moisture, hold their shape, and are great for roasting and making gratins. These include white potatoes, fingerling, red potatoes, and Yukon golds.
My recipe is a combination of russet and Yukon gold potatoes which create a hearty mashed potato.
Ingredients:
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Add potato chunks and kosher salt into a large pot of cold water. Place pot on stove, over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
Once cooked, drain potatoes well and return to pot. Add butter, cream and salt and whip with an electric beater. Slowly add milk and keep whipping until potatoes are smooth. Taste and adjust for salt.
Mashed potatoes pair up well with so many things like caramelized onions, roasted garlic, scallions, rosemary, thyme, chives, sour cream, grated cheese, crumbled bacon, chili, brown gravy, and tomatoes, just to name a few. Add any of these to your mashed potatoes for variety.
