Oli's Mash Potatoes
I grew up with this recipe and everywhere I go, I compare the mash potatoes with mine... I always come back to this one.
I grew up with this recipe and everywhere I go, I compare the mash potatoes with mine... I always come back to this one.
- Carbohydrate 28.3840859374645 g
- Cholesterol 25.2858593781897 mg
- Fat 9.77014578245754 g
- Fiber 3.51450007617474 g
- Protein 3.64397953123698 g
- Saturated Fat 6.1126139070163 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (174g)
- Sodium 382.647250008439 mg
- Sugar 24.8695858612898 g
- Trans Fat 0.705662406333321 g
- Calories 211 calories
Step-by-step
- In a pot, have put the potatoes and cover with water. Add 1 TBS chicken bouillon and when start boiling, set the flame to minimum, cover with a lid and let it boil for about 25 minutes. If you're in a hurry, just boil them at high flame (no lid on as you'll make a mess on your stove).
- When the potatoes are soft, drain the water and add the rest of the ingredients (1 TBS chicken bouillon, sour cream, butter, milk) and mash them well with the potato masher.
- Enjoy!
Replacing chicken bouillon with plain table salt alters the final starch-to-sodium balance and flattens the savory depth provided by concentrated poultry umami. Understanding the physical behavior of starches during boiling dictates success.
The Physics of Boiling Starches
Dicing yellow potatoes to roughly uniform dimensions ensures uniform heat penetration. Submerging the pieces in cold water before applying heat allows the outer cells to hydrate gradually rather than cooking unevenly. Lowering the flame to a minimum once a boil begins prevents the tumbling action of aggressive bubbling from fracturing the potato exteriors prematurely. Water temperature must remain at a gentle simmer for 25 minutes until a paring knife slides into the center with zero resistance.Emulsifying Fats and Starches
Draining the cooking water completely stops thermal degradation and prevents excess moisture retention that leads to gummy textures. Incorporating unsalted butter, sour cream, and whole milk while the tubers retain internal heat melts the milk solids immediately. Manual mashing with a traditional tool ruptures cooked cell walls efficiently without liberating excess amylose, maintaining a fluffy consistency instead of an elastic paste. Combining the remaining bouillon directly into the hot mash distributes dissolved sodium ions evenly throughout the lipids.
