How do you cut your potatoes for mash?

[Linda0818]

one of the 'challenges' to making nice smooth mashed potatoes . . . is avoiding any lumps.

now, lumps are usually the result of 'insufficient mashing' - could be short-cutting the hand mixer time, could be marginally cooked chunks . . .

my own personal approach is to - boil the chunks - rice the chunks - this ensures there's no lumps . .
then use a hand mixer to convert the riced potatoes into mashed potatoes - using the usual butter&milk.

for company, the potatoes get peeled. for just us chickens, not peeled - as mentioned the skins bunch up in the ricer - I use a fork to 'clean up the grate' before inserting more chunks/cubes/quarters/whatever. it is not uncommon that some bits of skin get thru the ricing operation.... which... dang! don't we all old geezers seek "more fiber?"

doing Dutchess/etc - that requires piping the mashed out to a "form" then doing a second oven bake to brown. a different 'thing' than plain ole' 'mashed potatoes'

one thing I "discovered" - totally by accident . . . - make the mashed, put in serving dish and put in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes. that "post mash bake" produces heaps and piles of ooohs and aaahs . . . it changes the consistency a big - and is major 'technique' demand in our house.

I actually like lumpy mashed potatoes, especially if they're made with red potatoes and partial skin is left on.

Otherwise, I'll eat them either way. Mashed potatoes is one of my favorite things in the world.

 

[msmofet]

I actually like lumpy mashed potatoes, especially if they're made with red potatoes and partial skin is left on.

Otherwise, I'll eat them either way. Mashed potatoes is one of my favorite things in the world.

I like mine with pork gravy the best (or any other flavor as a second choice) and spinach on the side. That’s one of my favorite easy, easy on my tummy, and meatless meal.

 

[medtran49]

I use a waffle masher. We do have a good size ricer, but I generally only use that when making gnocchi.

For those of you that like mash really smooth, you could always use a tamis and a scraper. Some come with different size mesh inserts, and they also double as a sifter.

 

[Linda0818]

I like mine with pork gravy the best (or any other flavor as a second choice) and spinach on the side. That’s one of my favorite easy, easy on my tummy, and meatless meal.

Sounds delicious

 

[dragnlaw]

Don't know that I've ever seen a tamis here, albeit I've never looked for one. Have only seen them on some cooking shows, mainly British.

 

[CharlieD]

The smaller the better, but try to have consistent sizes so the potatoes cook at the same time.

 

[medtran49]

Don't know that I've ever seen a tamis here, albeit I've never looked for one. Have only seen them on some cooking shows, mainly British.

I've only seen them on TV and once in a very high end cooking stuff store.

Don't know why it stuck in my head, but a long time ago saw one of Robert Irvine's shows where he said he only wanted silky smooth mashed potatoes and used a tamis to get them that way.

 

[dragnlaw]

I think maybe I like a few lumps in my mashed potatoes so that I know they were not made from dried or powdered. Too smooth makes me suspicious!

 

[Linda0818]

I think maybe I like a few lumps in my mashed potatoes so that I know they were not made from dried or powdered. Too smooth makes me suspicious!

I can always tell the difference just in taste. But I actually like instant mashed potatoes. I keep them around for once-in-a-while quickie lunches. However, 99.9% of the time, I gotta have fresh.

 

[dragnlaw]

No, didn't mean I don't like them. They are very passable and I actually have some on hand for various things too. Just in general they can be tasteless depending on how (and by whom, lol) they are made.

and if you serve them to me, be honest if asked!
I really don't mind, just don't fib!

 

[Linda0818]

No, didn't mean I don't like them. They are very passable and I actually have some on hand for various things too. Just in general they can be tasteless depending on how (and by whom, lol) they are made.

and if you serve them to me, be honest if asked!
I really don't mind, just don't fib!

I feel ya on that one.

Many years ago, I went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She didn't have a whole lot of money, but did the best she could with what she could afford. She served instant mashed potatoes, which was just fine with me. But they had this strange, yet oddly good flavor to them. I asked her what she put into the mash and she said butter, salt & pepper and a dollop of Miracle Whip.

I've been occasionally making them that way ever since

 

[taxlady]

I went to a very fancy dinner theatre in Montreal, decades ago. The potatoes that came with the meal were really good. I mentioned it to the server. She told the chef, who came out and thanked me for the compliment. I must have asked for the recipe. The chef then looked very sheepish. She was a bit embarrassed to admit that she had made them with instant mashed potatoes. She said she had tried with "real" potatoes, but it didn't work. Basically it was the instant mashed potatoes mixed up and then add almond extract and form it into balls. The balls were then rolled in toasted almond slices until well coated and then baked. I don't remember if there was any egg or egg yolk added to the mashed potatoes. I tried to make them once or twice, but didn't really succeed.

 

[pictonguy]

I've always steamed my potatoes, generally a russet or a yukon gold with skins on, let them cool a little and then through normally a food mill or remove skins and then through a ricer, but generally it's a mill. I then add unsalted butter and whole milk and mix it gently until absorbed. Then it goes through a tamis, maybe twice and it's basically a take on Joel Rubicon's "Purée de Pommes" which became pretty famous and he served these in the early 80's in his very first restaurant in Paris called Jamin. He was one of my idols back in the day who garnered 31 Michelin Stars throughout his career, which is the most for any one chef. Joel normally boiled his, so that was something I changed.