Mashed potatoes might be the easiest side dish you can ever prepare. Just boil some potatoes, mash them, add some butter, and mix; however, if you want the perfect recipe, maybe it’s time to involve some science in order to control starch and therefore, have a creamy or fluffy platter.
Here’s how science can help you make the perfect mashed potatoes whether be it for Thanksgiving or any other fancy and joyful dinner.
The first thing to have in mind is that potatoes are rich in starch, so you have to consider that the amount of it released will determine the texture and consistency of your mashed potatoes.
If you want a creamy one, then you need a good amount of starch coming out of the potato cells, but be careful, too much can make it gluey. If, however, if you want fluffy potatoes, then keep the starch at a minimum. But, how do you achieve all this?
J. Kenji López-Alt, chef and writer, explains in his book The Food Lab the three main things that may affect the result: potato variety, mashing method, and soaking time. All these have a direct relation to starch quantity.
Choose potatoes wisely
We know there are golden, red o white potatoes, but each type has a different kind of starch level.
For example, the classic white potato also known as russet has a high starch content but is easy to smash and very soft when boiled. This makes these potatoes perfect for a fluffy dish since less starch is released when boiling and is easy to break. So pick the perfect kind of potato.
Keep in mind the water rest time
Usually, to boil potatoes you cut them in pieces and add them to the not yet boiling water, however, this can affect your result.
Water washes off the starch, so soaking them for too long will wash of the enzymes that break down pectin, the natural glue that holds cells together. So, when being soaked for too long, there will be much glue and as a result, your potatoes will never become soft.
In order to avoid this, do not let potatoes rest in water or cut them into tiny pieces. As soon as the water starts to boil put them in and check in regularly until soft, approximately for 12 minutes.
The mashing method matters
The more processing the potatoes go through, the more starch is released. Therefore, just mashing the, will release a minimal amount resulting in a fluffy platter. If you want a creamy one, try putting all potatoes into a food processor or even an electric mixer, but be careful to keep a controlled time otherwise it will come out chewy.
Once you master this scientific method for perfect mashed potatoes, is up to you to add butter and cream.
