Basic Mashed Potatoes

By BILL DALEY and CHRISTOPHER PROSPERI

Updated 11:47 PM EST, Tue, Jul 28, 2009

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Ingredients:

4-5 large Idaho potatoes
2 cups heavy cream
¼ pound or 1 stick, unsalted butter
1 tbsp. kosher salt

Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut into quarters.

Put the potatoes in a 3-quart pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch.

Cover the pot and bring to a full boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. As soon as the pot reaches the boil, lower heat to medium and reduce the boil to a slow boil.

Cook the potatoes for 35 to 4o minutes until fork tender.

In the meantime, pour 2 cups of heavy cream into a small saucepan. Add ¼ pound, or 1 stick, of butter and cook on low heat until the
cream warms and the butter melts completely. Do not boil.

Using a towel or oven mitt, take the pot of potatoes from the stove and empty into a colander placed in the sink. You'll know the potatoes are ready to mash when the steam begins to subside and the edges of the potato quarters begin to look dry and rather white.

Place the quartered potatoes in the pot or bowl. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp. of salt. Take your masher and go once, gently, around the bowl or pot to break up the potatoes.

Pour in roughly ½ cup of the butter and cream mixture. Go around the bowl again to incorporate the cream mixture into the potatoes.

Continue to add a ½ cup of the cream mixture at a time. You want to add the liquid slowly. Pouring it in all at once would give you sticky mashed potatoes.

Taste carefully and sprinkle in more salt if necessary. You want just enough salt so you can taste it just under the sweet flavors of the cream and melted butter.

Serve mashed potatoes immediately.