Ricer or electric mixer See post for tools discussion
Ingredients
2poundsrusset
3-4 tablespoonssour creamOPTIONAL
½stickgood quality unsalted buttermelted or soft room temp
⅓cupwhole milk or half and halfadd more if needed
¼teaspoonsea saltmore to taste
¼teaspoonwhite peppermore to taste
Instructions
Peel and chop potatoes
Peel potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, then into halves or quarters depending on the size of the potatoes to start with. Your goal is to have the pieces the same relative size so that they cook at the same time.
Simmer potatoes
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and make sure you have enough cold water to cover by an inch or so. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the pan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to just under a boil; turn heat down to a simmer. If you boil the potatoes they will fall apart. Cooking gently in simmering water will allow them to stay intact. Simmer potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a paring knife. They should be totally tender but not falling apart for easy ricing.
Drain and dry potatoes
Drain potatoes through a strainer or colander and return the potatoes to the hot pan. Place the pan back on the warm burner (turned off) and cover with a mixing bowl. Allow the potatoes to dry a bit in the warm pan before continuing, about 10 minutes.
Mash or rice potatoes
After the potatoes have steamed dry, put the potatoes in the bowl, place the ricer over the pan and rice the potatoes. Add the butter, sour cream and enough milk to loosen things up, stirring as you go with a spoon. Stir until potatoes are smooth as you prefer. Add more butter, milk or sour cream as desired. Taste and season with additional salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
For light, creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, use a ricer.
If you want them to be over-the-top delicious for a special occasion or holiday, use white truffle butter and salt.
Make them an hour or so ahead of time and keep warm in a slow-cooker or in a bowl seated atop a water bath covered with plastic film and a kitchen towel. Potatoes can be kept warm this way for about 2 hours.
For a dairy-free version, use vegan sour cream and vegan butter.
If cooking potatoes for a crowd you can keep them warm in a crock pot on low heat which frees up cooktop space if you have a small cook top or range.