Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6 INGREDIENTS
2 pounds russet potatoes
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter 1½ teaspoons coarse sea or kosher salt 1½ teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
DIRECTIONS
Peel the potatoes, quarter them and place them in a medium pan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and gently boil until the potatoes fall apart quite easily when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the cream bubbles, the cheese softens and the butter melts, 5 to 8 minutes. Keep warm over very low heat until the potatoes are done.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and give it a gentle shake to remove excess water. Return the potatoes to the pan. Dry them over low heat until their surfaces appear dry, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick.
Working in batches, transfer the potatoes to a ricer and press them through into a serving bowl. (Or use a potato masher and fluff them very thoroughly with a fork when completely mashed.) Pour the pepper-speckled cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with the chives. Fold together with a spatula just until the liquid is incorporated. Don’t overmix it. Serve hot.
— Excerpted from “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and
Fried, Too!” by Raghavan Iyer (Workman Publishing, 2016)