Richard's Blais's Gently Mashed Potatoes

NOTE: The photo above is how the dish turned out in the My Last Supper kitchen, and may look different than as envisioned by the original chef.

NOTE: The photo above is how the dish turned out in the My Last Supper kitchen, and may look different than as envisioned by the original chef.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 russet potatoes cut into large chunks

  • A baby’s handful of salt

  • 3 quarts water

  • 2 cups milk

  • 2 sticks butter, cubed or sliced

  • Lots of white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  • Cook the peeled and chopped potatoes in cold water with the salt until just tender.  Don’t boil too rapidly, and don’t over cook the potato.  Remove from the water, shake the excess water away and return the potatoes to the pot.

  • Warm this mixture on low heat.

  • Warm the milk.

  • Add the warm milk and with a potato masher, gently, ever so gently, like you actually feel really bad about doing it, crush the potatoes and throw in the cubed cold butter.

  • Finish with the white pepper, and make sure you know white pepper is there – be aggressive here.

  • Adjust with salt if necessary and eat promptly from finishing.

  • This is very simple, but the details are worth considering.

Melanie Dunea