Classic Whipped Potatoes

                                                     A Tutorial and Recipe

It doesn’t seem that anyone I know follows a recipe when making mashed potatoes, including me, until now! There have been times when my potatoes turned out impressively and, other times like wallpaper paste. If I am going to eat spuds and blow my carb count for the week, I must deem the calories “worthwhile.” I have been known to keep adding butter until the taste overpowers the texture. I do not recommend this technique.

During my childhood, I remember enjoying whipped potatoes, and they were consistently delicious. My biggest gripe was during the late sixties when the instant potato trend became popular; Mom tried to pass this starchy mess on as her own. Seriously, did she think that I was using hallucinogenic drugs? The family revolted and, she returned to the real deal.

Upon reflection, investigation, and research, I have come up with a foolproof way of making awesome whipped potatoes. Yes, I have sacrificed some calories during testing, but you, my faithful readers, are worth it.

I tried various potato types, concluding that Russet potatoes produce the fluffiest result.  Boiling the spuds created a waterlogged pasty potato, what next?

 I reverted to the basic rules learned in journalism class: Who, what, when, where, why, and how?  This equation produced my solution: my aunt, delicious potatoes, childhood, the familial kitchen, steaming the potatoes, and how; by using the handy dandy stand mixer. Wala, the answer! I can still see the old Sunbeam mixer on the kitchen counter, sleeping under an avocado green quilted cover. In the old days, we hid small kitchen appliances under these “coverlets”  only to reveal as needed. I'm inclined to say that using a stand mixer produces the fluffiest dream whips, although a hand mixer will suffice if you must.

                                                 Classic Whipped Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 -5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled then cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¾ cups  whole milk

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 -3 teaspoons salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Place cut potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. This process helps to remove excess starch. Drain. Fill a Dutch oven with two inches of water. Bring to a boil. Place a steamer basket in the Dutch oven and fill with potatoes, making sure that the steamer basket is not sitting in the water. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until tender, approximately 25 minutes.

2.       In a small saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth; keep warm.

3.       Drain the potatoes in a colander, return potatoes to the pot, stirring until excess water is dried, about one minute.

4.       In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, break up the potatoes on low speed for 30 to 40 seconds. In a steady stream, add the milk mixture. Incorporate. Raise the speed to high and whip until fluffy.

Notes and Inspirations:

a.       If your steamer basket sits in the water of the Dutch oven, you can ball-up some aluminum foil under the legs to raise the basket. I often steam the potatoes in the steamer basket of my slow cooker on the steam setting.

b.       The addition of flavored compound butter is a great way to enhance the taste. Garlic, truffle, chive butter, to name a few, reduce the butter in the recipe to 8 tablespoons, then add the compound butter to the potatoes when whipping.

c.       Dust with nutmeg

d.       Enjoy these potatoes in their purest form or top with savory brown gravy