[eastshores]

I had a bag of these specialty small red potatoes on hand called "enchanted rose". They are very flavorful and the flesh is kind of buttery and has a nice yellow tint to it.

So I decided to do "smashed" potatoes by leaving the skin on and cooking them to fork tender, then mashing them along with some heavy cream, butter, and a little garlic infused olive oil.

The flavor was on point but they were HEAVY and I am kind of struggling to think of a way that would impart some lightness to them. Is it just the variety having a dense buttery flesh? Could I have whipped some sour cream in? Should I have used milk rather than cream? I definitely did not over work them.

I found this.. but this seems to be an extreme uni-tasker gadget and I'm not sure that injecting air into potatoes at the cost of small animals and children is appropriate.

 

[chrislehrer]

Sounds like the variety to me. There's this whole thing about density and dry matter in potatoes, where usually the ones with higher dry matter are fluffier (as with russets), but there are a lot of fine details.

 

[koukouvagia]

I don't know, you could try whipping cream and stirring it into the smash but the cream would be cold and it would just melt. Doesn't skim milk whip up well too?

In my experience a good mashed potato comes from a variety of taters. I like to mix yukon gold and russets. Either or do not work on their own but together form the perfect balance between creamy and fluffy. I'd say scrap the potato and make it into little patties or croquettes that you can griddle.

 

[eastshores]

I'd say scrap the potato and make it into little patties or croquettes that you can griddle.

Oh I am definitely doing that - was already in my mind.. they would be perfect for that! It did get rave reviews from a 14 year old so they didn't suck - I just didn't expect it to be so heavy. It was bordering the texture of seriously overworked potatoes.. well not in the elasticity but in the density.

 

[brianshaw]

Not lighter, but I sometimes smash boiled or steamed potatoes in a skillet with bacon grease and fry crispy.

P.S. I never click on random links but did this time. Hilarious!

 

[brianshaw]

Not lighter, but I sometimes smash boiled or steamed potatoes in a skillet with bacon grease and fry crispy.

 

[planethoff]

That is just not a good potato to be "mashed " or "smashed". No milk, no cream. Frying in bacon fat is good idea. @brianshaw otherwise, roast, sauté, or fry. They are very starchy and waxy. Not good for mash

 

[eastshores]

Yea.. should have done roasted garlic and rosemary with them.

 

[chefbuba]

For smashed potatoes I usually use milk, butter and sour cream. For mashed half and half and lots of butter.

 

[Pat Pat]

I really like this recipe @ 2:55 but I used green onions instead of the mustard greens.

 

[cheflayne]

Did you cut and rinse the potatoes before cooking because it helps to release excess starch making for fluffier potatoes. Even more important for fluffy potatoes is rinsing after cooking, before smashing.

 

[eastshores]

Did you cut and rinse the potatoes before cooking because it helps to release excess starch making for fluffier potatoes. Even more important for fluffy potatoes is rinsing after cooking, before smashing.

I did not do either of these things. I will have to try that next time. Thanks for the tips.

 

[brianshaw]

Please let us know how that turns out. I understand rinsing starch off raw potato but never heard of anyone ever rinsing starch off of the cooked potato.

 

[cheflayne]

Think of it as rinsing off the starchy water residue left after cooking the potatoes. The same basic (but opposite) reason for not rinsing pasta after cooking.

 

[brianshaw]

I understand your theory. It’s just that I’ve never heard anyone else ever recommend such a procedure or do it. Controlling starch by potato choice or pre-cook rinse/soak is more traditional.

If you successfully do a post-cook rinse that’s great. But to me that’s a rather unusual procedure that would cool the potato too much for effective mashing or ricing, and may waterlog them.

The analogy I’m drawing in my mind is that rinsing cooked potato is like trying to get fluffy sushi rice by rinsing the cooked rice.

Rinsing pasta... only worth doing to stop the cook when using in a cold preparation. Otherwise both the heat and starch are good.

 

[planethoff]

My favorite thing to do with those potatoes is the crispy smashed method. Boil until soft. Place on sheet pan and crush with mallet/potato masher/whatever to make them flat disks. Drizzle with garlic butter, season with salt and pepper, and top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Remove and top with crumbled bacon, chive, and dollop of sour cream.

 

[eastshores]

@brianshaw made the same remarks I was thinking. rinsing them is likely going to remove a lot of the heat.. and then yes.. they may pull water back in to hydrate.. which is not good.

I don't know.. that's why I asked

 

[cheflayne]

quick rinse with warm/hot water, put back on heat to smash

 

[eastshores]

Thanks @cheflayne I will keep it in mind. I do think I chose a bad potato for smashed. I know that russets have that airy but almost grainy texture that makes them more "fluffy". What I should have done with these was salt encrusted.. but last time that turned into.. burn a pot to the point I couldn't scrub that stink off it. It's still one of my favorite preparations.. I just need to get it figured out so I have timing and salt ratio, herbs, down. And of course.. I have to watch it like a hawk.

 

[koukouvagia]

Thanks @cheflayne I will keep it in mind. I do think I chose a bad potato for smashed. I know that russets have that airy but almost grainy texture that makes them more "fluffy". What I should have done with these was salt encrusted.. but last time that turned into.. burn a pot to the point I couldn't scrub that stink off it. It's still one of my favorite preparations.. I just need to get it figured out so I have timing and salt ratio, herbs, down. And of course.. I have to watch it like a hawk.

Never heard of this. How is it done. Do you have a link?