My sizzling take? Mashed potatoes are crucial factor on the Thanksgiving plate…
In case you’re ready for me to make a culinary case, I don’t have one. I’ve solely my timeless gratitude for the creamy, fluffy facet dish that casts a glow of consolation over all the dinner plate, whether or not it occurs to be a vacation or only a common previous Thursday evening.
However, after all, Thanksgiving isn’t just an everyday previous Thursday evening, and in case you’re like me, you would possibly really feel impressed to improve your potatoes even additional for the massive day. So, listed below are just a few mix-in choices for you, with quantities that correspond to my basic mashed potato recipe, beneath. (I nearly all the time combine in horseradish — and infrequently pile in grated Parmesan, as nicely.)
* 2 tablespoons ready horseradish
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
* 1 caramelized onion (1 giant sliced onion cooked slowly in olive oil over low warmth for half-hour till the onions get candy and golden)
* 3/4 cup bitter cream and 1/3 cup snipped chives
* 4 to five ounces cream cheese
* Roasted garlic
* Butter or cream — much like scrambled eggs, the extra fats you add, the extra luscious they are going to style
Basic Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Once I’m making mashed potatoes for a small crew, I favor utilizing a ricer, which leads to the smoothest texture. However once I’m coping with giant quantities, like on Thanksgiving, I exploit both an electrical mixer or a potato masher for ease. This recipe serves 8-10.
4 kilos potatoes (baking/Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and sliced in thirds if Russet, and in halves if Yukon Golds
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra to style
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups complete milk or half-and-half, warmed in a saucepan or a microwave
your mix-in of alternative (see choices above picture)
In a big pot, cowl the potatoes with water, add salt, and produce to a boil. Cut back the warmth to a simmer and prepare dinner till a knife can slip by the largest chunk of potato with zero resistance. It often takes between 15 and 20 minutes, however you may err on the facet of over-doing it as a result of they’ll solely get softer and extra mash-able. Drain in a colander, and return the empty pot to the range.
Add the potatoes, extra salt to style, butter, and about half of the milk to the pot and, utilizing a potato masher (or an electrical hand mixer), begin whipping the potatoes till easy, slowly including the remainder of the nice and cozy milk till you attain desired (creamy, easy) consistency.
Stir in desired mix-ins and serve heat.
P.S. French mashed potatoes and turkey pot pie for a small-scale Thanksgiving.
(Prime picture by Jenny Rosenstrach. Second picture by CWP, LLC/Stocksy.)