French-Style Pork Roast with Gravy
Whipped Potatoes
Asparagus Gratin
Mashed potatoes. Can one have too many recipes for them? I think not. So here is another one for your recipe caché. At first glance, they might seem plain and simple. And they sort of are, until you get to the technique. Contrary to the old belief that if beaten too long mashed potatoes turn into glue paste, these are whipped for a good 2 to 3 minutes. I use my stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, but you could use a hand-held mixer to achieve good results. The important thing is to make sure the potatoes are thoroughly dried after they are boiled. Drier potatoes absorb more milk and butter. I also take it one step further and rice the potatoes through a potato ricer. I like my potatoes smooth and fluffy sans lumps. Serve them as they are or make the pile on your plate a vessel for a ladle full of gravy-- this is comfort food at its finest.
Whipped Potatoes
serves 8-10
4 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
8 Tablespoons (4-ounces) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a paring knife, about 20-25 minutes. Drain potatoes and return them to the dry pot. Stir over low heat until the potatoes are thoroughly dried, about 1 minute. In a separate small saucepan, heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium-low heat until melted and warm, about 3 minutes.
Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment on low speed, gradually add the warm milk mixture in a steady stream until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and whip until the potatoes are light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Enjoy!
Source: Adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen, 2012
Next time you whip these, PLEASE add 1TBS of Hellman's to your whipped taters. Makes all the difference to the tasty dish. Can't even tell it's been added.
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