Mashed potato technique: work the potatoes or not? - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb  I have an electric potato peeler. It works by abrassion and water . You can't put cooked taters in this machine . It saves me hours in peeling .

It may save time but those machines eat a lot of potato in the process and they still don't get the eyes out, plus they don't get off all of the skin on un-even potatos unless you really grind the whole load down. I've ran a lot of spuds through those beasts for fresh FF. I don't treat potatos for potato salad or mashed any differently.

Dave

I would never use a mixer for potatoes. I think a ricer/food mill is the way to go. A food proc. is right out. 

Leaving the jackets on for boiling does improve the texture and taste of the potatoes. It takes longer to cook them obviously, but I think it is worth it. 

Use only whole, cold cubed butter. This improves texture and basically allows you to emulsify the butter into the potato. Melted butter is OK, but doesn't have the same luxurious taste/texture of whole cubed butter. Think of a buerre blanc versus a broken butter sauce. 

The puree can get gummy no matter what kind of potatoes are used. The main reason these things get gummy is because the maker fails to keep the mixture HOT. When the starch in the potatoes cools down, it gelatinizes and this is what leads to gummy texture. Nothing can be done to fix it. So, when you are making your potatoes, keep the mixture hot and store it so it won't cool down. That is the number one reason right there. Yukon golds are pefect, IMO, as they have a low-medium starch and a great flavor and texture. Russets work OK as well, but will have a more pronounced "grainly" texture and are more prone to "water-iness." 

Things like a tamis are optional and just go to improve texture and remove small lumps, etc. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatch 

I suppose this is the peril of buying large potatoes at Costco so my own fault.
 

Sorry to deter but do you buy a lot of produce at Costco?  I've tried a lot of produce from there like potatoes, avocados, lettuce, asparagus, bell peppers and every last bit of it was completely completely completely tasteless to me.  I can even spot Costco produce at other people's house when I bite into a potato or take a bite of salad and it tastes like absolutely nothing.  I ask "did you buy these potatoes at Costco?" and the answer is always "yes, how did you know that?"  I never have the courage to tell them how I can tell.

I buy very little produce at Costco. Bananas and berries sometimes and the ten pound sacks of organic carrots were a bargain but they've stopped selling those here. With the exception of those items most of the produce at Costco is just as much or more $$ than local produce stores where we live.

Dave

You would use a mixer if you had to make them for 500 or 1000 people.

To each his own.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb 

You would use a mixer if you had to make them for 500 or 1000 people.

 I  agree Ed. I hope I didn't give the impression that I wouldn't use a mixer. I couldn't count the times I had multiple weddings on the same evening with 200-500 people in each.

I've literally made tons -O-spuds that way.

Dave

i like to use baby redskins and baby yukon golds and mash them skin on...actually more like smashed as i like them a bit chunky.....cream, not milk and salted butter...pepper too. instant potatoes while i personally choose not to use them, they do make a wonderful dredge for fish in place of flour...chicken too for that matter. i have used them on occaison to thicken soup in a hurry.

joey

   Mr. Someday

How many dinners you do 50? 100? by hand with ricer then ok . When you do in the thousands try and use a ricer. I use an 80 qt. Hobart and would not do it any other way.

Sorry Duckfat I sent to wrong person. I know you do volume  it was meant for Someday

to me mashed potatoes are like folding fitted bed sheets...everyone has a different way of doing it and whatever works for you is good...

joey

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb 

   Mr. Someday

How many dinners you do 50? 100? by hand with ricer then ok . When you do in the thousands try and use a ricer. I use an 80 qt. Hobart and would not do it any other way.

Calm down, chef. My statement wasn't meant as being judgmental or directed at you. My post was to answer the OP's question, where it is stated that he/she is a home cook. I would never make potatoes at home in a mixer. 

If I were cooking mashed/pureed potatoes for a thousand people? Then yes, I would use a mixer. 

Why are you so sensitive?

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Someday 

Yukon golds are pefect, IMO, as they have a low-medium starch and a great flavor and texture. Russets work OK as well, but will have a more pronounced "grainly" texture and are more prone to "water-iness." 

 

That's been exactly my experience as well - despite getting a lot of advice (including in this thread) which seems to indicate the opposite. 

Well, I suppose it is a matter of choice and taste. In my experience, I've made potatoes with both russets and Yukons, and Yukons are FAR superior to the russets. Russets just seem to have a more "watery" texture/taste and a more grainy appearance and texture. Russets are a higher starch potato so thats the reason why. 

A lot of people use russets because its what they've known and used their whole lives and their careers as a chef, and they are less expensive. They are also a bit more of a "multi purpose" potato and if you are running a restaurant/business and don't want to but two different types of potatoes for say, fries and puree, then the russet is maybe the more versatile. 

i bet a lot of grandmas are rolling over in their graves...

Just use one of those big food mills for ricing.  You can do a whole case of potatoes in ten minutes.