Quarter Cup Kitchen

Can someone teach me how to take a nice picture of mashed potatoes?

Hello hellooo QCK!

WOW! Thanksgiving is right around the corner!! Um okay, well I guess we should get into it, yeah?

I grew up cooking alongside my mom, my dad, my aunts & my grandma and holidays were always a really big deal at my house. Who made what and how they made it was a constant topic of conversation around this time of year and because I’m competitive and I have to be the best at everything, I just learned how to make everything!

No, but in all seriousness, I’ve been very blessed to be the keeper of all our family recipes over the years – it’s an honor I don’t take lightly.

So, about 10 years ago now, when I got serious about cooking, I trained in this very high end French restaurant called Bellecour. Bellecour is no longer with us, however I do still have my old recipe book and it’s full of gems, including all the recipes to our take & bake Thanksgiving Dinner!

This year, I want to start a series of sharing those recipes for the home cook as well as some of my own favorites. Over the next couple weeks, we’re going to cover:

• Full Fat Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes
• Creamy, Gooey Mac & Cheese
• Classic Collard Greens
• Marsala Glazed Carrots with Carrot Top Garnish
• Tendernisms Finest Roast Turkey
• Deep Dish Salted Maple Pumpkin Pie

I’m so excited to share one of my most cherished pieces of culinary history with you all along with all the tips, tricks & why-it-works! Let’s get started.

What Makes It Good?

These mashed potatoes are really no-frills when it comes to flavor – it’s lots of butter & cream, garlic & classic herbs, but nothing super knockout like I’ve been seeing on the gram. I personally think that mashed potatoes are meant to be the base of Thanksgiving dinner, and they should compliment anything. So, while they do of course have good flavor, and you can add as much fix-ins to them as you’d like (cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, etc.), we’re really going for texture and consistency here.

• Start the potatoes in COLD water, and bring everything to a boil together. This helps the potatoes cook evenly, instead of getting overcooked on the outside while you wait for the inside to finish.
• Add herbs, garlic & lots of salt to your water: Potatoes are so bland and they need a lot of help, so we want to season every step of the way to make sure they’re absorbing the flavor rather than it just sitting on top.
• Using a mix of Russet and Yukon Golds: Russets are light and fluffy while Yukons are creamy & buttery. Use equal parts of each to accomplish a fluffy, creamy finish.
• Warm your butter, milk and cream – also with herbs: The warmed up fats will penetrate the potatoes more effectively, again we’re looking to fully incorporate the flavors rather than just mix them together.
• The Fine Mesh Step: It’s not fun, but it’s so worth it. The final step of the recipe is to push the potatoes through fine mesh sieve and this is what gives it that ultimate, no lumps, super creamy, puree texture without it getting glue-ey. You don’t HAVE to use this step, but I really do encourage it.

Recipe:

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 1 – 1.5 hours

Category: Side Dish

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 3 russet potatoes
• 6 Yukon gold potatoes
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 5–7 large sprigs thyme
• 10 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the potatoes: In a large pot, add room-temperature water, a generous handful of salt, 1 sprig of rosemary, 3–4 sprigs of thyme, and 5 cloves of garlic.
2. Cook: Add the potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender and soft all the way through when pierced with a fork.
3. Drain and cool: Remove from heat, strain the potatoes, and let them cool slightly until they can be handled comfortably.
4. Peel: Using the back of a spoon or your hands, gently remove the potato skins and discard.
5. Infuse the cream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, milk, and heavy cream. Add the remaining rosemary, thyme, and garlic to the pot, along with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
   Allow the mixture to heat until the butter is melted and the cream is fragrant. Remove from heat and strain out the herbs and garlic.
6. Mash the potatoes: Using a ricer or potato masher, process the peeled potatoes into a large mixing bowl until smooth.
7. Incorporate the cream: Pour half of the warm infused cream into the potatoes and mix gently until combined. Add the remaining cream and continue mashing or stirring until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt to taste.
8. Optional — for a silky purée: For an ultra-smooth texture, pass the mashed potatoes through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula or ladle to work them through. This gives a light, fluffy finish without overworking the starch.

Thank you so much for visiting QCK! I’m happy to have you here. If you try any recipes, or have any requests, please let me know! Otherwise happy cooking and lots of love from my kitchen to yours. ❤

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