Perfect Mashed Potatoes

The secret to absolutely perfectly fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes lies in two quick hacks

Comfort food at it’s best.

You Will Need:

1. Dutch oven, stock pot, or any pot big enough to hold 5lbs of potatoes
2. A lid for the pot
3. Potato Masher
4. Cake Tester or Metal Skewer

Ingredients

1. 5lbs of Yukon Gold, or any yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch(ish) chunks
2. 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons), preferably Kerrygold or other Irish or European butter – room temperature
3. 1/3 cup Sour Cream or Heavy Cream, or a combination of both
4. Kosher Salt
5. Black Pepper (optional)

Two Hacks

1. Hack Number 1: Rinse the potatoes once to remove some of the starch. Starch is like glue – if there’s too much starch in your potatoes, when you mash them, they’ll be thick and glue-y rather than light and fluffy. Rinsing some of the starch leads to a better aerated, fluffier end product
2. Hack Number 2: Use the Cold Start Method. Starting the potatoes cold and slowly bringing them to a boil ensures even cooking throughout, meaning a creamier, less lumpy end product.

Ingredients

1. Cut potatoes up into 2 inch(ish) chunks – doesn’t need to be pretty or exact, they just need to be roughly the same size
2. Place potato pieces into a large pot, and cover with cold water by 2 inches or so
3. Using your hands, slosh potatoes around until water becomes cloudy
4. Drain, and then refill the pot with cold water, covering the potatoes by 2 inches or so
5. Place lid on pot, and place pot over high heat. 
6. Bring to a boil, then remove lid and reduce to a simmer. 
7. Simmer potatoes until soft – test with a cake tester or skewer
8. Drain (using the lid and a couple of hot-holders or towels is the easiest way to do this, in my opinion)
9. Add butter, sour cream, and cream and mash well using a potato masher
10. Add a pinch of Kosher Salt and taste for seasoning
11. Add a few grinds of black pepper if desired