The Kitchen Aid® mixer is one of the finest appliances to have for so many things such as making fresh pasta and buttercream frosting. It is so efficient and quick to blend, that I rarely have success making a mashed potato I like. Want chunks in your finished mashed potatoes? Just too easy to overmix. The starch cells in the potato break down and you get a mushy or runny texture. My personal favorite tool for creamy mashed Idaho russets is to use a ricer for a smooth potato look that still has some texture and a little dryness.
All Things Mashed Potatoes HERE
However, some recommendations… The potatoes you are looking for at the grocery store should have the “Grown in Idaho” seal on the bag. They also have signage or a potato variety marked right on the bag or the fastening enclosure, typically a Russet Norkotah or a Russet Burbank are the two predominant varieties in the grocery stores right now. I’ve noticed a lot of special pricing on ten pounds of Idaho potatoes right now.
We recommend peeling the raw potatoes, cutting into even sized chunks rather than boiling whole (outside is over cooked by the time the interior gets fully cooked and this affects consistency too). So, boil the cut up chunks of potatoes in cold salted water and test for doneness after about 15 minutes with a fork where you can easily smush a test chunk and then drain the potatoes. Save the pan or pot and after draining, put the potatoes back on the stove in this container, uncovered so moisture can escape, leaving the potatoes on the stove at the low or LO temp for a few minutes (3-5) to remove the extra water. During this time, warm up any liquids such as milk or cream (ditch the 2% or 1% milk for the holiday) and some butter in a separate pot. You can do this in the microwave quickly too. Place the potatoes in the mixer, and use the beater attachment, mix on low for no more than one minute. This is crucial, do not look away or leave the time to your judgement, stop the mixer if the potatoes looked somewhat mixed but with some small chunks. Add in the liquids slowly once you have started the mixer again, shouldn’t take long to have the perfect Idaho potatoes you desire. Good luck. By the way, if you transform the mashed potatoes into a warm clear bowl or plastic Tupperware® container and put a tight fitting lid on the top,it can stay warm for up to thirty minutes. Plenty of time to make gravy from the turkey stock.
Remember: Over-mashing your Idaho® potatoes will result in gluey and sticky potatoes.
And here’s some other interesting reading material about commonly asked questions about mashed potatoes as well as recipe ideas. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving.
https://idahopotato.com/all-things-mashed-potatoes
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