Creamy mashed potatoes

This recipe, set to go live with the others, is my go-to mashed potato dish, especially for special occasion dinners like birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. However, this dish is versatile enough that it can be used at any time of the year and works well in any context where mashed potatoes are appropriate. As with its companion recipes, don't get scared by the length of the recipe that follows. It's only this long because I explain not only what to do and when to do it, but also why to do it. Great chefs separate themselves from good chefs in their knowledge and execution of a good potato dish. 

There are generally three kinds of potatoes on the American market: waxy, mealy, and somewhere in between. This recipe works best either waxy or intermediate potatoes, like Yukon Golds. Mealier Russets, the typical baking potatoes, don’t have the right consistency for this dish. 

The dish starts with 2.5 pounds of peeled potatoes left soaking in water. Keeping the potatoes soaking in water once they’ve been peeled to prevent them from oxidizing. Remove any eyes (brown spots/blemishes deeper than the surface of the potato) as you peel; most peelers have potato eye removers. However you decide to peel your potatoes, exercise caution. Keep things as organized as possible in a kitchen, and peel them into a single pile for easy cleanup. Do one task at a time, do it completely, and do it well. After all the potatoes have been peeled, cut them into uniform 1-inch cubes. This will ensure the potatoes all cook thoroughly, and that they do so at the same rate. 

Drain the potatoes from the water in which they sat while being peeled to rinse off some of the extra potato starch. Refill a large lidded pot—somewhere between 4 to 6 quarts is ideal—with fresh water to cover the potatoes entirely, plus about an inch and a half. Lightly salt the potatoes; a teaspoon or so is fine at this point. More can be added later if necessary. Cover the pot and place it over high heat. All else equal, salted water takes longer to boil than unsalted water, so be patient with your potatoes as they come to a boil; after all, they have been salted and are starting from cold, so this will take a while.  From cold to done, this should take about 35 minutes, but the time depends on the size of your potato pieces and the power of your stove, so after 20 minutes or so, periodically check your potatoes. When you feel minimal resistance, after however much time has elapsed, they are done. 

Drain the potatoes, returning them afterward to the same pot in which they were boiled. Add 3 to 4 ounces of low-fat milk and 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter (about half a stick) and stir in rather vigorously with a spoon until incorporated. You can alternatively use no milk and more butter, or no butter and more (whole) milk if you wish. Taste for salt content. Salting the water infused the potato pieces, which have by this point become mashed potatoes, with salt, but you may want to add more now. Add seasonings to taste. I go with dried dill, thyme, oregano, and paprika, plus freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, but the spices you add can certainly be tailored to your palate. Stir, not only to combine but to attain your desired creamy consistency. (Yukon Golds and other similar potatoes have the notable advantage over Russets, etc., that no amount of mixing done by hand will deteriorate the texture.)

Serve. 

If you make this, be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know!