Monster Mash Potatoes

CLASSIC ROCK BANDS RECIPE #11

BORIS PICKETT

MONSTER MASH POTATOES

 

Happy Halloween everybody!  I was working in my kitchen late one night …………. OK, truth be told my kids begged me to do this one today, so this goes out to my little angels on all hallows eve.  The next recipe will have to wait till next week that I was originally going to do.  The timing is good as Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and this classic side dish fits right in.  This is a huge portion for the holiday table hence the “monster” reference.  There are a lot of variations and additions you can do to this basic recipe for mashed potatoes.  Some suggested additions might be; garlic, bleu cheese, chives, basil, cabbage, and even lobster is very popular now.

Two very important factors in making classic mashed potatoes are the choice of potato and how you mash your potatoes.  Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes work the best for boiling and mashing.  White potatoes or Idaho potatoes are kind of an all-purpose potato and work too but not as well.  They are more suited for baking which of course you can mash too.  Waxy potatoes like red or new potatoes retain their shape after cooking and are better suited for roasting or making scalloped potatoes.

When it comes to “mashing” I don’t recommend using an electric hand-held mixer as it’s difficult to break down the clumps you often get, and you never want to overmix the potatoes because they can get gummy.  A few lumps here and there are good.  A ricer works very well as you get a lot more consistency and it’s easy to mix with a spoon.  A hand-held masher is fine but will leave more clumps.  Like everything else in life, you must work with what you’ve got.  Just ask Dr. Frankenstein.   So, get busy in your kitchen getting your mashed potatoes ready for holiday season and don’t tell them Gordy sent you.  Tell them to visit http://www.DoinThatRagu.com!

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed if not in a plastic bag

Kosher or Sea Salt

3 TBSP Unsalted Butter

1 cup Whole Milk

1 TSP White Pepper

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large stock pot add the Potatoes and fill the pot with enough water to cover by at least 6 inches. Add a generous amount of Salt to the pot.
2. Heat on high to boiling. Once boiling reduce heat to a steady simmer.  Simmer Potatoes for 30 minutes.
3. In a large colander or two to handle all the Potatoes drain off all the water and let the Potatoes rest until cool enough to handle. Do not worry if the Potatoes break up a bit when you drain them.  You will be mashing them anyway.
4. After the Potatoes are cool enough to handle (about 30 minutes to 1 hour) peel the skin off each one with a potato peeler and/or with your clean hands. After peeling either mash if using a ricer or return to the pot for mashing with your hand-held device.
5. Once all the Potatoes have been returned to the pot mash with your potato masher if you are not using a ricer. Add the Butter and half the Milk and turn the heat on low.
6. Using a wooden spoon mash any additional clumps and mix the Potatoes with the Butter while it begins to melt and with the Milk.
7. Add more Milk to the pot to get the right consistency while you stir. Add Salt to taste and the Pepper.  Continue to stir.  Do not over stir!
8. Once the Butter is all melted and you have the consistency to your satisfaction remove the Mashed Potatoes to a serving dish and serve right away or keep warm until ready to serve

 

WINE PAIRING:  This is a side dish and the best part of mashed potatoes is they go with everything.  This is where the additions are most important.  Garlic or roasted garlic go well with most red wines and a lot of white too.  Bleu cheese is a classic match for Cabernet Sauvignon.  These are just a couple of examples but it all depends on what else you are serving with your mashed potatoes.  Soon I will publish some ideas of what resources you can go to for wine pairing with specific foods as a side note in addition to our recipe series.