Velvety Mashed Potatoes (Printable)
Silky smooth Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with butter and cream, perfect alongside any main course.
# What You'll Need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
→ Dairy
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
03 - ¾ cup whole milk, warmed
04 - ¼ cup heavy cream, warmed
→ Seasonings
05 - 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
06 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Place the peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water by 1 inch and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
02 - Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
03 - Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the pot. Let them sit over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes so excess moisture evaporates.
04 - Using a potato masher, ricer, or food mill, mash the potatoes until completely smooth and free of lumps.
05 - Add the cubed butter to the potatoes and fold gently until fully melted and evenly incorporated.
06 - Pour in the warm milk and heavy cream gradually, stirring continuously until the mixture is silky and smooth. Add more liquid for a looser texture if desired.
07 - Season with the remaining kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly smooth, almost like whipped clouds, and it comes together with just a handful of humble ingredients you probably already have.
- Warming the milk and cream before adding them is a tiny step that somehow changes absolutely everything about the final result.
02 -
- Overmixing activates the starches in the potatoes and turns your beautiful mash into something closer to wallpaper paste, so always fold gently and stop as soon as everything is combined.
- Warming the milk and cream before adding them is not optional and skipping it will leave you with potatoes that seize up into cold, clumpy sadness no matter how much you stir.
03 -
- Infuse your warming milk with a smashed garlic clove or a sprig of rosemary for five minutes before straining it into the potatoes, adding a subtle layer of flavor that people will notice but never quite be able to identify.
- The single most important moment in the entire process is that brief drying period after draining, because removing excess water concentrates the potato flavor and ensures your butter and cream shine rather than getting diluted.