posted by on October 17, 2017
Chef Cory York of award-winning Deep Blu restaurant teaches us how to make the very best mashed potatoes, no milk recipe. There are only 2 ingredients: potatoes and butter (or non-dairy butter substitute). No milk, no cream. Gently steaming the potatoes, instead of boiling the potatoes, will create a more tender, smoother dish. To make the very best mashed potatoes, peel 1 1/2 pounds of yukon potatoes, cut into quarters, steam for 20 minutes. Process through potato ricer. Stir in the butter or butter substitute. Optional: add salt, minced chives, roasted garlic.
When I’m making mashed potatoes, I’m usually thinking about only one thing – what am I going to mix in? We’ve done Miso Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes, garam masala mashed potatoes, corned beef mashed potatoes, bacon mashed potatoes, etc. I’m always looking for new ideas to give the otherwise plain potatoes some texture, zing and excitement.
One question that I’ve never asked myself was – how to make the very best mashed potato in the first place? The recipe seems simple: peel, boil, mash, salt, milk, butter, mix.
Well, a few weeks ago, we bought tickets to Cirque du Soleil in Orlando and before the show, we dined at Deep Blu restaurant at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort, Bonnet Creek. Deep Blu is not just any hotel restaurant. It’s the very best seafood restaurant that just happens to be located inside a hotel. That’s not just my opinion – see Deep Blu reviews on Open Table, Orlando Weekly review, Urban Spoon review, Orlando Magazine review, Yelp reviews.
Scott ordered a side of mashed potatoes for the table. When the waitress left, “You ordered mashed potatoes at a fancy seafood restaurant???” <– that was me and my big mouth
They were the very. best. mashed. potatoes. ever. I ate nearly the entire bowl of it myself, after apologizing profusely to my husband for giving him crap for the order.
I needed to know the recipe! What did the chef add into the mashed potatoes to make them so creamy, smooth, buttery, luxurious? Was it olive oil? sour cream? buttermilk? mangalitsa lard? duck fat? It was driving me crazy, so I asked the chef.
So what did I learn from Chef Cory York?
To make the very best mashed potatoes, you only need 2 ingredients. Potato and Butter.
I didn’t believe him. Until I tried it myself.
It’s all in the technique. Steam, not boil.
How to make the very best mashed potatoes – no milk!
You can pretty much use any potato that you want – some are adamant that the waxy-skinned Yukons are the best for mashed potatoes – and others don’t care.
I prefer the Yukon golds for mashed potatoes, I think they result in a smooth. creamy texture and are naturally buttery-tasting on their own.
Why steam? Steaming cooks the potatoes gently, delicately, disturbing the starch molecules as little as possible. Boiling is more violent, direct contact with the hot, boiling water, potatoes knocking against each other in the boil. The more that the starch is beat up like a thug, the more chance it has to get gummy, glue-y and mealy.
Peel the potatoes and compost the peels.
Quarter the potatoes. I’ve put them in a silicon steamer basket.
I used my Steamy Kitchen wok because it’s so simple to steam in with plenty of space.
Cover.
Steam.
Use a potato ricer (here are 3 ricers that are highly rated). Don’t try to use any electronic gadgety gadgets to mash the potatoes – Just keep it simple. A good ol’ fashioned potato masher works too – but the ricer will give you the best smooth texture.
Mix in salted butter with a wooden spoon. Again, no electronics here – mixing too fast (like in a mixer) will make the potatoes gummy and glue-y.
If you want, top with chives.
And maybe a bit more melted butter. No cream, no milk.
For non-dairy, I recommend Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Smart Balance (both are vegan).
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 173 kcal
:
- 4 large yukon potatoes about 1 1/2 pounds
- 3-4 tablespoons salted butter or dairy-free butter substitute
- salt to taste
- OPTIONAL: few sprigs fresh chives minced (or other fresh herb)
Peel the potatoes and cut each potato into 4 pieces. Place the potatoes in a steamer rack (or see notes above) and prop up in a large pot. Pour in 2″ of water into a large pot, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-high and steam the potatoes for 20 minutes or until they pierce very easily with a paring knife. You might have to refill the steaming water in your pot (just keep an eye on the water level).
Let potatoes cool and process through a potato ricer.
Stir in the butter and season with salt. Taste and adjust with additional salt and/or butter if needed. If the mashed potatoes isn’t quite creamy enough, add more butter. Sprinkle fresh minced chives on top.
Nutrition Facts
Best Mashed Potatoes – No Milk Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 173 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Potassium 702mg 20%
Total Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 0g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 5.2%
Vitamin C 23.5%
Calcium 5.4%
Iron 30.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
