Tomorrow we are having our Thanksgiving Feast – friends from near and far are coming over to share what has grown into our traditional Turkey dinner. I’m always reminded at this time of year of the very first Friends Thanksgiving episode in Season 1 when Monica has to make 3 kinds of potatoes because everyone has a different tradition that has to be upheld. Phoebe wants whipped potatoes with peas and onions, Ross wants lumpy mashed potatoes and Joey wants Tater Tots. I end up making roast potatoes for me, mashed potatoes for the kids and sweet potato for Didier – although I can’t ever bring myself to add the dreaded marshmallows! Thanksgiving for us is creating our own traditions – not just with the recipes – but for friends and family.
This year we perfected a new way of prepping the mashed potatoes thanks to my friend Jaden at Steamy Kitchen for this new way of making Mashed Potatoes – the clue is ironically in the name of her website – you steam the potatoes rather than boil them. The result is fluffy light potatoes that need the addition of one thing – butter!
Peel the potatoes (we like to use Yukon Gold potatoes), place in a steamer with about an inch of water in the bottom, and steam until soft all the way through – about 10-15 minutes. Place the steamed potatoes in a pot, add a generous amount of best quality cubed butter (2-4oz) lots of pepper and salt, and mash with a potato masher. The consistency of the steamed potatoes quickly transforms into fluffy rather than gloopy mash without the need of a ricer – no lumps here!
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