Mashed Potato Tips

 

Here`s a few things I`ve learned about making mashed potatoes:

Butter and milk are a must.
Adding other things is cheating though my faves include roasted garlic, pickled jalapeno (diced) or wasabi.
To impart flavour you can mess with the water.  Adding a bunch of garlic to the boiling water (skin on if you`d like) will change the flavour of the water and thus the potatoes when complete.
Use a ridiculous amount of water.  The temperature of your water will drop drastically when you add your potatoes to it ? the more water you have, the quicker it will return to a boil.
Per above, you can also cook them in stock (chicken stock is a great trick ? reserve the potato-infused stock for things like squash soup for greater use)
I like the skins on but that`s preference.
Cook the potatoes whole, with skins on.  This was a recent revelation as I would always cube and sometimes peel first.  keeping them whole prevents water absorbtion and helps you achieve a fluffier mash.
Don`t prick them for reason above.
You can keep them warm in a double boiler.
Starch potatoes are best ? if you have the luxury of a local potato farmer who has varieties, always ask.  You may be surprised which ones they recommend.
Partially cooked potatoes and a ricer are not your friend.  I recently lost one of my all-time favourite kitchen accessories to this costly mistake.
Heat the milk and butter prior to mashing, results in fluffer potatoes.