Mashed potatoes are served with chicken breast, green beans and pan sauce. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Mashed potatoes are served with chicken breast, green beans and pan sauce. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Mashed potatoes for a chef

They are deceptively hard to get right

I woke up early that morning to review my production timeline — I had read it a dozen times by then. I got to the classroom early to sharpen my knives while I eyed my chef’s office door, waiting for him to post the testing order for the make-or-break midterms.

When he finally taped the spreadsheet to his office window, all 16 of us clambered around to see who would get the fire order first, and my name was dead last.

Our midterm test was a simple meal: chicken breast, mashed potatoes, green beans and pan sauce. Everyone was required to use the same cooking methods and ingredients. The object was to demonstrate proficiency in standard kitchen and sanitation procedures, butchery and meat handling, vegetable and starch preparation, varied cooking techniques, and plating timing and artistry.

I executed the task as planned and set my offering down according to Escoffier serving etiquette — from the diner’s left with my left hand (now sporting three fresh bandages, a product of my nerves).

This plate was his 16th taste of the same meal, but he received it with enthusiasm, and began demolishing it with his fork and knife. He poked and smeared and swirled the food around to check for lumps in the mash or an undercooked bean, and finally satisfied, he took a few slow bites before returning his cutlery to the plate and asking me to be seated.

He congratulated me on an expertly made plate but informed me the highest grade he could give me was an 85%, as each throbbing cut on my hand had deducted 5 points. Had my nerves not gotten the best of me, I would have earned a perfect score.

I wish I could say I took that lesson to heart, but the truth is that now, 10 years after this fateful midterm test, most of my shortcomings are still ultimately the result of my own self-doubt. An unfortunate trait, but as common as gummy mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are deceptively hard to get right, but if you follow this method, you can confidently serve creamy, fluffy potatoes every time.

Ingredients:

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup heavy cream, heated until steaming

Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil, turn the heat down until the water is just bubbling, then carefully drop in your peeled potatoes. You want the chunks of potatoes to be quite big, like a small egg, because smaller pieces will absorb more water and will result in soggy potatoes.

Keep the water at a slow bubble, not a rolling boil, to avoid agitating the potatoes too much. The more they are agitated, the more starch will be released, and the more water will end up in the potato.

When a fork easily enters the potato, they are cooked.

Strain and return to the pot.

Turn the heat back on and cook the potatoes in the dry pan for a few minutes, carefully stirring. This will burn off any residual water.

If you have a ricer, this is the time to use it. A ricer ensures the smoothest possible finish. If you don’t have one, a masher is fine, but be as gentle as you can. Under no circumstances should you use a hand or stand mixer or blender, as this will almost certainly result in gummy potatoes.

Salt the potatoes as you mash. You will need more than you think, so don’t be shy.

When the potatoes are sufficiently mashed, add in your room temperature butter and heated cream. Do not add cold dairy — this will cool the potatoes down and could affect the texture. Mix gently with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Taste and season with extra salt and white pepper.

Serve immediately — reheated potatoes will never be as good as fresh.

More in Life

File
Minister’s Message: The opportunity to trust

It was a Friday night when I received a disturbing text from… Continue reading

tease
Peanut butter balls for Ms. Autumn

This holiday treat is made in honor of the Soldotna El secretary who brings festive joy

Map courtesy of Kerri Copper
This map of Tustumena Lake was created in 1975 by John Dolph as he planned an Alaska adventure — and delayed honeymoon — for himself and his wife, Kerri. On the upper end of the lake, Dolph had penciled in two prospective camping sites.
The 2 most deadly years — Part 5

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The two most deadly years for people on or near… Continue reading

Marathon Petroleum Kenai Refinery General Manager Bruce Jackman presents a novelty check for $50,000 to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Marathon donates $50,000 to Kenai Peninsula Food Bank

Funds were raised during fishing fundraiser held this summer

Blue sits for a photo with Santa during Bark, Block and Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Food bank to host Christmas meal, Santa photos

The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank will this month host an opportunity for… Continue reading

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
Life in the Pedestrian Lane: A Little cheese with the whine?

No matter which side of the political fence we stand on, as a generation we are intolerant of pity parties

Photo by Clark Fair, 1990
This is the cabin on Pipe Creek, along the north shore of Tustumena Lake, where Harold Galliett sought shelter after surviving a commercial airlines crash in the lake in September 1965.
The 2 most deadly years — Part 4

The two most deadly years for people on or near Tustumena Lake were 1965 and 1975

File
Minister’s Message: Living out the incarnate love of Christ

Jesus showed the compassionate love of God to all He met

The cast of Nikiski Bulldog Theatre’s “Willy Wonka Jr.” rehearse at Nikiski Middle/High School on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski stages student-directed production of ‘Wonka’

A chocolate factory, the Oompa Loompas and a familiar tale of morality… Continue reading

Most Read