At first glance, you may think that mashed potatoes are just a simple and homey side dish, but it seems as if every home cook has their own spin on this classic recipe—from leaving the skins on or peeling them away, to how you cook the potatoes (boiled, baked, or steamed) to whether you want them creamy and luxurious or fluffy and cloudlike. This Thanksgiving standby is deceptively riffable. However, before making any decisions about how to prepare your potatoes, you need to go spud shopping… and as it turns out, the potatoes you choose can have a big impact on your final dish.
With that in mind, we polled a handful of chefs around the country about the best potato to reach for when making a bowl of mash. The overwhelming response? Yukon Gold potatoes, which are creamy, buttery, and easy to track down. Here’s why these chefs won’t make mashed potatoes without ’em.
Why Yukon Gold Potatoes?
Yukon Gold potatoes are medium sized and round, with thin skin and yellow flesh. The result of a cross between a North American white potato and a wild South American yellow potato, Yukon Gold potatoes have an almost buttery taste and are incredibly versatile. They balance the starchiness found in russets with a bit of waxiness usually found in white potatoes, like Red Bliss, making it possible to roast them, fry them or mash them. “They have a high starch content that absorbs the cream and butter very well, giving it a fluffy, yet creamy texture when cooked properly,” chef Logan Ramirez of Gioia Mia Restaurant in Montclair, NJ, explains.
That starch content is key to getting a fluffy texture in your potatoes, Ramirez explains. “Red potatoes and fingerlings—they don’t break down or absorb fat content as well as Yukon Gold, due to the low starch content,” he says.
Besides Yukon Gold potatoes, some chefs did prefer russet potatoes for their higher starch content and extra fluffy texture. However, these potatoes can be overworked easily, making your mashed potatoes gluey. “I know they are the easiest to find and most likely the cheapest at your local grocery store but russet potatoes are more than likely why your mashed potatoes come out watery,” chef Jack Bennett at International Smoke in San Francisco adds. “They take on a lot of water in the cooking process and are much better in other dishes.”
Common Mashed Potato Mistakes
The secret to perfect mashed potatoes isn’t just using the right potatoes—how you prepare the dish can be the difference between creamy, delicious potatoes and a watery, gluey mess. The biggest mistake chef Vanessa Parish, founder of the Queer Food Foundation, notices home cooks make is over-mashing. “You want your potatoes to be light and fluffy, not to harden like cement as soon as they touch the plate. Pushing out too much air can result in a thicker mashed potato with a heavy mouthfeel,” she explains.
Adding cold butter and milk to the hot potatoes will also lead to a lumpy final product, chef Cedric Domenech of L’Avenue at Saks in NYC says. “I suggest to always mash the potatoes, milk and butter in a very hot temperature. If they get too cool, the mashed potatoes will not have as smooth of a texture.” Instead, make sure that the butter and milk are warmed, so they don’t instantly lower the temperature of the potatoes when added, which tightens up the starches in the potatoes.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes Like a Chef
To pull off restaurant-worthy mashed potatoes at home, start with unpeeled potatoes, Domenech says, and make sure to start them in cold water to avoid uneven cooking. “Home cooks often peel the potatoes before they are boiled, but it is essential to boil the potatoes with their skin still on in water and salt for optimal texture. Once the potatoes are finished boiling, the skin should be removed,” he says. (He recommends doing this with a towel and gloves, as the potatoes will be hot.)
When it comes to the fat content, Bennett says you should reach for cream, rather than milk, for your mashed potatoes, while Domenech recommends a butter with a high fat content, such as Vermont unsalted butter, which is about 80% fat. This will ensure that your potatoes are extra creamy.
Of course, if you don’t have Yukon Gold potatoes on hand this Thanksgiving, you can still make mashed potatoes. When using less-than-ideal potatoes, chef Jeffrey Williams, who has been tapped to head the new concept at the The Wharf InterContinental in D.C., suggests making up for the missing starch by adding in other flavors. “If I do have to use a non-potato of choice. I love a recipe where you caramelize diced onions in butter, cream and smoked gouda cheese. The onions and cheese add a good complement, and it compensates for the lack of starch in the potatoes,” he says.
Whether you’re making your mashed potatoes for a holiday meal or just a cozy, weeknight dinner, the right potato can have your guests (or you!) coming back for seconds—so choose wisely at the grocery store this winter.