The Key to Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

How do you make the perfect mashed potatoes? You don’t mash them at all. Well, not in the old-fashioned, pound-with-a-heavy-spoon-or-mallet kind of way, anyways. Rice them. Fluff them. Treat them gingerly.

A ricer, if you’ve never used one before, is a sort of clamp outfitted with small holes through which you can press dense things such as boiled potatoes. Those holes break up the vegetables so finely that when you ultimately whip in melted butter, it reaches every last tidbit of the starchy stuff. A ricer looks like a stapler with a porous cup at the end, it works like a large garlic press, and it yields light-as-can-be results.

Some other things to keep in mind when making mashed potatoes: You can dice your potatoes before you boil them if you’re short on time (smaller pieces cook faster), but we recommend cooking them whole with the skins still intact. Doing so helps the potatoes cook evenly, and the skins are easier to peel once loosened by a little heat. Finally, resist the urge to keep stirring once you’ve added the cream: The more you play with it, the more you risk your beautiful side dish becoming a gummy mess.

So boil, press, fluff, and serve.

The Perfect Mashed Potatoes
by Angela Gaines
Serves 4 to 5

5 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and washed
1 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter
Kosher salt
White pepper

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season water generously with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, on low heat, warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel the skins. Using a ricer, press potatoes one by one into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and milk mixture and gently fold into potatoes. Season with salt and white pepper.

More Thanksgiving stories:
9 Ways to Upgrade Your Pies
Move Away from Cranberry Gelatin
The Easiest Way to Roast a Turkey

What’s your trick for fluffy mashed potatoes?