The Official Maggie's Farm high fat, high carb, high cal Mashed Potatoes

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Saturday, November 12. 2011

The Official Maggie's Farm high fat, high carb, high cal Mashed Potatoes

This is my Mom's Thanksgiving and Christmas recipe:

4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, or whatever you like
8 ounces sour cream
1 stick butter
2 ounces chopped fresh chives (one bunch)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

1. Boil potatoes (peeled or unpeeled - I prefer peeled) in water till they're tender (when you can stick a fork in and it comes right out).
2. Drain and let the steam evaporate off, then cut them up.
3. Mix in the ingredients and cut or mash to preferred consistency. (I prefer them casually mashed and heavily lumpy - but I do understand that the Irish expect them to be creamy, and that a single lump is the shameful sign of an incompetent wife.)
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve, if you must, with a side of steak, roast beef, turkey, pork chops, lamb chops, or roast chicken, and daintily drizzle a reduced jus of the meat on top of your potato piece de resistance.

Posted by The Barrister in Food and Drink, Our Essays at 13:39 | Comments (19) | Trackbacks (0)

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White bread and butter, topped with mashed potatoes and beef gravy was pretty good when I was a kid.

There were no seconds on roast beef in the cafeteria but I don't think anybody missed it.

#1 Ron Hardin (Link) on 2007-11-23 19:29 (Reply)

May I also recommend a dash of olive oil, it gives it a certain smoothness. I prefer to use spring onions instead of chives for a litle extra bite.

#2 Theo Spark (Link) on 2007-11-24 05:19 (Reply)

The only other ingredient I'd add is to toss in a couple of garlic cloves in the water with the potatoes and mash them in. The slight hint of garlic adds depth to the flavor.

#3 Phil G on 2007-11-24 08:04 (Reply)

Yes, add the garlic... alternatively, you can saute the garlic in some of the butter then pour into the mashed potatoes (or as they say down here "creamed" potatoes). But also try this trick from the deep South. : ) Change the potato to red potatoes and change the sour cream to real mayonnaise and maybe less butter. Store bought mayo is fine, just not the salad dressing type. I'm not sure as to the amount... my truly Southern husband (I'm a transplant from out West) just spoons it in to taste... just like his mother and grandmother before him. Yum!

#4 Ann Addison (Link) on 2007-12-01 19:02 (Reply)

Oh, those wonderful mashed potatoes! What a mood elevator they are. When my husband would depart on another of his many lengthy trips away from home, and the house seemed dark and empty, the first night supper for me was always a mashed potato, replete with lots of butter, cream, and salt and pepper. By the time I had scarfed this down and my tummy was full, my viewpoint had stabilized enough so that I could anticipate his eventual return. Eventually.

So the mashed potato is the friend of Man. And Woman -- at least this Woman.

Marianne

#5 Marianne Matthews on 2008-11-23 16:09 (Reply)

I prefer whole milk to sour cream and Russets to Yukon Gold (it is much harder to ruin Russet's by overcooking). If you are in a rush you can microwave the taters for ten minutes before cooking to take 20 minutes off the time. Also, DO NOT BOIL! You want to keep the taters just below boiling so it is much harder to turn them into second class mashers.

Serve with pork and sauerkraut, natch ... and cook that kraut on low for an hour until it is soft, flavorful, and smelly.

#6 Jack Diederich (Link) on 2008-11-23 16:23 (Reply)

An excellent piece, sir. In Georgia, we pronounce the term 'jus' as "drippings".

It avoids having to reference things (shudder) French, and makes a fine dip for your cornbread as well!

Cheers

#7 Robert on 2008-11-23 16:51 (Reply)

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, if you ask me. I use cream and lots of butter, some salt, pepper and garlic, too. My mouth is watering.

#8 Karen (Link) on 2008-11-23 19:02 (Reply)

If it isn't a king Edward then it isn't a spud worth a damn...although maris or cara will do in a pinch.

#9 thud (Link) on 2008-11-23 21:17 (Reply)

"a single lump is the shameful sign of an incompetent wife"

haha, good one.

#10 kab on 2008-11-23 21:18 (Reply)

I found a google link for "King Edward" potatoes but I still don't know quite what they are. Other than the skin looks slightly red.

#11 Jack Diederich (Link) on 2008-11-23 23:31 (Reply)

Garlic? Mayo? Chives? Onions? Olive oil? "King Edward" potatoes?

YOU PEOPLE ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO MASHED POTATO LOVERS EVERYWHERE!!

Salt, pepper, real butter are the only acceptable additions to good mashed potatoes.

Garlic - good lord - barbarians... :>)

#12 Tom Francis on 2011-11-12 14:45 (Reply)

I remember watching that english guy on tv making the "Perfect" mashed potato, he needed a ricer and special potatos, took a lot of work and butter.

My Filipina wife made some where she mashed them with a fork (we didn't have a masher) and some butter and cream, salt and pepper. Pretty good and smooth.

Simple food isn't difficult, add what you want, it only gets tastier.

#13 ApacheWarrior on 2011-11-12 15:59 (Reply)

I find sneaking in a little boiled turnip or parsnip into the mix pretty tasty, as well as some roasted sweet red bell pepper.

#14 Slithergadee on 2011-11-12 17:07 (Reply)

Ooooh, you mean "Rotmos" which is pronounced something like "Ruuuuuuut-a-moose" and in a singsong fashion, natch. The critical ratio taught by mormors (maternal grandmothers) to all Swedish girls is one turnip to three reasonably sized taters. Chicken broth is nice for the fluid. Never tell company that there is a turnip involved until AFTER they go on and on about the abject deliciosity of the mash.

#14.1 MissyW on 2011-11-12 18:13 (Reply)

Instead of sour cream, a container of salmon flavor cream cheese. MMMMmmm!

#15 JimK on 2011-11-12 19:38 (Reply)

I entertained a hospital-bound friend (lacking a computer) with all these comments. Now he's very, very, very hungry.

One suggestion: cut and soak potatoes several times in ice water to remove starch -- even dump ice cubes over them. They fluff better. All the other ingredients make me think there should be multiple mashed potato dishes on the table. Maybe just a mashed potato meal. Great gravy on the side (but that doesn't work well with the salmon cream cheese addition).

#16 jma on 2011-11-12 20:59 (Reply)

There has got to be room for a generous splash of buttermilk.

#17 Archer2010 on 2011-11-13 18:33 (Reply)

You want to kick up your potato's a notch, add some White Truffle Oil. OMG does that make them good.

#18 Jer on 2011-11-14 08:59 (Reply)

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Saturday, November 12. 2011

The Official Maggie's Farm high fat, high carb, high cal Mashed Potatoes