Using baked or roasted potatoes reduces the excess water that gets into the taters when you boil them. Less water means that your baked mashed potatoes will be fluffier than ever and definitely more flavorful.
One reason baking potatoes are so good for mash is their high starch content which helps make the potatoes really fluffy for an unbeatably light airy texture. It is this starch that leaves you with a fluffy texture after baking too, and a must for the lightest mashed potato going.
Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover loosely and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes break apart easily when pierced with fork.
The short answer: Baked potatoes can be more filling and nutritious IF you eat the skin. Mashed potatoes don't usually include the skins so you lose some fiber and nutrients.
While no one likes mashed potatoes that are dry and chalky, you'll want to use a flavorful liquid to add moisture, like milk, cream or even chicken stock. If you'd like, gently reheat the drained potatoes on the stovetop to dry them out slightly before mashing with your preferred seasonings.
In addition to choosing an aromatic, floury potato variety, there are other components that make up the distinctive taste of really good mashed potatoes. Basically, it all comes down to fat. In addition to milk, and occasionally cream, one of the most popular ways to build flavor into your mash is through butter.
The absolute best way to mash potatoes depends entirely on how you prefer to eat them: If you like them fluffy and somewhat lumpy, use a hand masher. If you like them perfectly smooth and airy, use a food mill. If you like them velvety but not at all gluey, use a tamis.
When it comes to ridiculously creamy restaurant style mashed potatoes, there's not much to it. The secret is just loads of cream and butter. The creamier the mashed potato, the more cream and butter it has in it!
Russet potatoes are arguably the best potatoes for baking, although they are also great for mashing and frying. The main reason thick-skinned Russet potatoes are perfect for baking and more is because they contain significant amounts of starch.
Doing so is a science thing – soaking cut potatoes removes excess potato starch. This means fluffy mashed potatoes (and not gluey!)
Tip #3: Don't Overcook or Undercook the Potatoes
If you overcook them they disintegrate and your potatoes will be soupy. The specific cooking time depends on the size of your potato: a perfectly cooked piece of potato should give no resistance when cut with a knife, but shouldn't crumble into a million pieces.
Yes. If you boil potatoes for too long, they'll lose their structure and absorb too much water. That means that they'll become mushy, won't have the correct texture, and won't hold their shape.
A potato ricer is widely regarded as the best tool for mashed potatoes that are smooth and fluffy.
Cover the potatoes with water and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the butter, hot milk, sour cream, and salt to taste; mash thoroughly with a potato masher until very creamy.
Add a Leavening Ingredient
Baking soda needs to be combined with an acidic ingredient of some kind (buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, yogurt) to create carbon dioxide, a gas that emits small bubbles and makes the goods fluffy.
Q: Why is it common to salt the exterior of a baked potato? A: Chefs started doing this years ago to allow the salt to absorb or draw out the moisture of the potato while baking, which results in a dry, fluffy potato.
"Yes, it's good to prick them," says Brennan Smith, a faculty member of the School of Food Science at University of Idaho. "It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape. Otherwise, they could explode—it doesn't happen all the time, but it happens every once in a while.
To minimize waiting time, restaurants bake large batches of potatoes ahead of the day. They bake potatoes in advance and store them in the oven until someone orders them.
If your mashed potatoes are done too soon, they could cool or dry out before the meal. Start the potatoes during the last hour of cooking, when you start the gravy. If that's too much, keep mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker. Stir in a little warm milk or butter for added moisture.
Why Should You Use Sour Cream in Your Mashed Potatoes? Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!
The fat absorbs into the cells of the potato, which have swelled and pulled apart from one another. Then, the milk loosens and flavors the potatoes. So I tried a side-by-side test, adding the butter, then the milk vs.
Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
Start cooking the potatoes in cold water: This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy.
One of the starch molecules in potatoes is called amylose, which is responsible for making mashed potatoes "gluey" and pasty. Rinsing or soaking cut raw potatoes helps to wash away a very small amount of amylose.