# Knock-out Mash Potatoes



## coup-de-feu (Aug 4, 2010)

Hello everyone.

I have heard about legendary mash potatoes served in starred restaurants.  But I have never had them.  I have worked and eaten in starred restaurants, but I don't remember any mash that made me do back flips.

I want to cook really good potatoes for my people.  Right now all I do is cook yellow potatoes and add white pepper, nutmeg, salt, butter, and cream or milk, sometimes with Parmesan or Swiss, sometimes with garlic.  It okay, but nothing to do a flip over.

So how do you do it?  How do you make Knock-out Mash?.


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## 808jono202 (Sep 3, 2012)

For me, it's all about using a food mill, instead of a stand mixer/electric beater. Also, don't over whip the spuds, keep them light, and airy. A food mill really provides the best, lightest, airy texture(next to a ricer) for spuds, imo.

For me personally, the spud of choice is Yukon Gold(skinned), whole butter, salt, heavy cream, white pepper, roasted garlic, and a hit of smoked Gouda.

For large groups, it's Russet Potatoes(skinned), half&half, salt n' pepper, whole butter, chopped chives just to fleck through for color, but I keep it simple. Sometimes, less is more, especially when it's comfort food like mashed potatoes. 

For me at home, if I am doing mashed at home with red meat, it is an adaptation of either of the above procedures, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Gorgonzola in there. If I am not doing a compound butter with it(the meat), I will work it into the spuds, not a lot though as it can get over powering, quickly.


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## soignee (May 5, 2012)

Thyme, Shallot and a bit of Garlic are steeped in a seasoned Cream/Butter mix then passed through chinois.  A nice Carolla or Yukon Gold goes through a food mill and mixed with the liquid.  The food mill really is essential for the proper texture.  Might get finished with a bit of White Truffle oil or some fresh Herbs.


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

I'll take cloves of garlic and put them in water until it boils. Then I change the water and repeat at least 7 times. I'll then throw the cloves into the food mill with my potatoes. Afterwards, I add buttermilk, salt, and pepper. That's just the basic. Then I usually add saffron and lobster in the mix.


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## xerp (Dec 24, 2011)

Cream Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Smoked Gouda, Butter, Sweet Paprika, salt & pepper.


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## robo (Sep 3, 2012)

yukon gold-skins on, heat cream, melt butter, parm. cheese, sour cream, salt n pepper


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

I like to slightly over cook my potatoes, contrary to popular belief.  After I strain, I throw them back in the pot and put them on low for 5 more minutes or so to get any more moisture out.  As I mill I throw in cubes of room temp butter, NOT melted.  Obviously the potatoes need to be hot when you mill or rice.  I adjust with hot cream or milk as necessary, stirring as little as possible.  Thats my technique for mash.  Any flavors apply to this method.


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## iworktomuch (Aug 21, 2012)

When I worked in NC we used to do a potato butter.  Peel potatoes, boil until soft, smash potatoes threw a china cap, place in a bowl, add hot cream, then add butter and incorporate into potatoes over an open flame, season to taste, push mashers threw a fine meshed sieve....potato butter...it was a bi$%# to make everyday, but it was damn good though.


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## davehriver (Jan 13, 2012)

replace the milk wit sour cream add a little butter and season as you like.  If gravy is served with the mash I just season with S&P and let the gravy do the rest.


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## poorpig (Aug 9, 2012)

Potato puree is always my route for slammin' mashed potatoes. Bake yukons (russets work well also, but you don't get that great yukon flavor) skin on until fork tender atop a layer of kosher salt so the salt brings out the moisture and the potatoes never sit directly on the pan. Peel them while hot, cream and butter them (a good amount of butter), pass them through a ricer, and then pass those through a chinoise. You wind up with a little bit of waste, but the texture you obtain from this process is amazing. Silky and sexy. There are no shortcuts to it either, but when you taste these potatoes and feel the texture, you know someone gives a damn in the kitchen.


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

I boil fresh potatos to order then toss them in a paco jet with salt, white pepper, goat cheese and a little double cream plus brown butter. Give it a quick buzz and they come out really nice. Thick and rich with a nut hint and the sour bit from the cheese. It is a bit of a pain doing it to order but the results are well worth it.


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

Lagom said:


> I boil fresh potatos to order then toss them in a paco jet with salt, white pepper, goat cheese and a little double cream plus brown butter. Give it a quick buzz and they come out really nice. Thick and rich with a nut hint and the sour bit from the cheese. It is a bit of a pain doing it to order but the results are well worth it.


Do you parboil them first?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Everyone is adding this , that and the other things, How about just potatoes, salt ,pepper, butter and cream or milk Just the basics. Everything else added makes them some other kind of potato. Don't over mash and whip as you bring out to much gluten.


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## the apostate (Jan 11, 2011)

My old chef always insisted that the trick to eliminating gluten development lay in the order you added the ingredients.

After boiling (Red Bliss were his favorites, go figure) you had to add melted butter _before_ beating.

He believed that the fat coated the gluten strands and inhibited their formation.

Milk and other flavorings were always added in the last moments of beating.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

You took the words right out of my mouth,ed!

Kinda like meat....we go to the trouble and expense to purchase the "best" and then cover up the flavor and alter the texture.

Not sayin' there is not a time and place for such, just IMO.


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Cookers said:


> Do you parboil them first


No. I store them peeled in acid water in the reach in and cook each table from scratch. Takes a bit of stove space and time but with amuse and starters it is never a problem.


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

chefedb said:


> Don't over mash and whip as you bring out to much gluten.


Potatoes don't contain gluten as they are not wheat products. It's the starch that makes them gummy. Now I'm just being snobby...


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

Lagom said:


> No. I store them peeled in acid water in the reach in and cook each table from scratch. Takes a bit of stove space and time but with amuse and starters it is never a problem.


What does the acid do?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Commercially no acid is used , some already peeled come dipped on a sulphur based anti occident. Like sulphur dioxide . But plain water is really good enough


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Cookers said:


> What does the acid do?


I find that a sqeeze of lemmon keeps the from turning brown. I don't use pre peel potatos so they are not dipped in anything but really plain water is good enough esp if your doing them daily. I do top them with paper to keep the top potatos moist.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

cacioEpepe said:


> Potatoes don't contain gluten as they are not wheat products. It's the starch that makes them gummy. Now I'm just being snobby...


Lol...not snobby, just a fact.

Lagom : I use a splash of vinegar to keep them white. Give them a good rinse. For the best spuds, use that food mill , it gives the best results. Some shy away from using it but shouldn't.

Potatoes ? russets or yukon, they work best. The one thing I really don't like is holding mashed potatoes, when your ready to plate them they lose that fluffiness .

Petals.


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## rekonball (Sep 13, 2011)

Equal parts potatoes,cream,butter,and salt.


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## robo (Sep 3, 2012)

Rekonball said:


> Equal parts potatoes,cream,butter,and salt.


so you add 10 lbs of salt to 10 lbs. of potatoes?


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## robo (Sep 3, 2012)

Robo said:


> so you add 10 lbs of salt to 10 lbs. of potatoes?


i assume you mean equal parts of each kind of potato.


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## coup-de-feu (Aug 4, 2010)

Thanks for all the awesome ideas guys.  I'm taking notes. Love the paco jet methode  - who'd a thunk it?


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

Lagom said:


> I find that a sqeeze of lemmon keeps the from turning brown. I don't use pre peel potatos so they are not dipped in anything but really plain water is good enough esp if your doing them daily. I do top them with paper to keep the top potatos moist.


I was tired and read that wrong. I do the same thing to store potatoes for each service. Although we do not make them to order for every table. We make a giant batch all at once.


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## rollinglegumes (Sep 3, 2012)

My wife would love the taters with 10#s of salt. She is the salt shaker queen.

My favorite combination is red taters with 1/2 skins-on butter, heavy whipping cream, lots of fresh thyme, and lots of roasted garlic.

I also like them with celery root mixed in as well.


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