While we may never know the whole story, we can offer you plenty of information on the whole potato, from savory skin to meltingly soft insides, in this guide to making perfect mashed potatoes every time (hint: don’t forget the cream cheese). Some food historians say that 17th century England was the birthplace of our now-beloved mashed potatoes and gravy, while others credit a 1771 potato-making competition hosted by a Frenchman named Antoine Parmentier as the event that started the centuries-long craze. Serve warm, topped with a sprinkle of fresh chives if desired.When something as delicious as mashed potatoes is involved, it’s no wonder there’s some jostling for credit about who invented the iconic dish.Add butter and stir until melted, then add crème fraîche.If you don’t have a food mill, run potatoes through a potato ricer, or place in the pot and mash with a potato masher until smooth. The residual heat from the pot will evaporate out any excess moisture from the potatoes. Run potatoes through a food mill placed on top of your still warm cooking pot on the still warm burner.Boil potatoes in a large pot of generously salted water for about 15 mintues minutes or until fork tender (a fork inserted into a piece of potato should go in easily and the potato should somewhat break apart).You can prep and cut your potatoes a few hours ahead of time if necessary keep covered in water to prevent browning. You want approximately 1-inch size pieces (all fairly even in size so they will cook uniformly) and transfer to a bowl filled with cold salted water. Cut potatoes into quarters or eighths, depending on the size. Scrub potatoes well to remove any dirt, then peel (unless you are using a food mill to process, in which case you do not need to peel your potatoes).Adding the butter first (before cream or in this case, crème fraîche, will prevent your potatoes from getting gluey). The residual heat from the pan will steam off any leftover moisture. Once the potatoes are milled, return them to the cooking pot on the still warm burner and add the butter. The mill will essentially do the same job as a potato ricer, while removing the skins at same time. Just cut into chunks, boil until tender, and run through the food mill. Bonus: you don’t even have to peel the potatoes (because we all hate peeling potatoes). Tip for ultra-creamy mashed potatoes: use a food mill. Proof that sometimes mistakes can turn into blessings in disguise. Bonus? Crème fraîche is actually lower in fat than heavy whipping cream, while producing a far creamier final product. The cultured French cream (similar to sour cream but with a richer and more nuanced flavor) gives the potatoes a slight yogurty tang that really does wonders to cut the richness. Which, as it turns out, makes for a damn fine mashed potato (if I do say so myself). Luckily, what I did have was a tub of crème fraîche. Or, rather, my failure to properly inventory the fridge before Thanksgiving day.Īs I went to prepare my ultimate creamy mashed potatoes, I discovered I was out of heavy cream (oh, the horror!) After two pies and a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream and one carton tossed for being well past its prime, I didn’t have a single drop of usable heavy cream left at my disposal.
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