Unitasker devices are, for my part, usually a waste of cash and house. Positive, it’s nice to have a garlic press, and a cherry pitter does come in useful when it’s peak stone fruit season, however for many of the yr, this junk simply takes up house in my meager kitchen storage state of affairs. However having stated all that, I really couldn’t dwell with out my potato ricer, a cumbersome, annoying-to-store software that sadly makes one of the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.
Mashed potatoes are, objectively, an ideal meals, however I by no means actually excelled at making them regardless of my deep love for them. My variations had been all the time slightly too grainy, their texture by no means fairly as cohesive as I’d like, irrespective of what number of occasions I vigorously smashed them with my low-cost potato masher. Even a number of additional dollops of butter and cream couldn’t assist. However I made do with my mediocre mash for years till a visit to Eire kicked off a quest for the creamiest, silkiest bowl of mashed potatoes I may discover.
In Eire, the potatoes had been solely barely adorned with cream, doused in butter, and all the time completely constant in texture. It helps, after all, that the island grows among the world’s best potatoes, however the true secret, as I realized, is within the approach. After hours of scouring the Eire Reddit discussion board and watching too many TikToks, I spotted that I merely needed to put money into a potato ricer to attain good mashed potato texture. So I logged into Amazon, picked the primary one which had first rate opinions, and patiently awaited its arrival.
When it arrived, I peeled and chopped a number of kilos of Yukon gold potatoes, dropped them into boiling water, and waited some extra. As soon as they had been tender sufficient to stay a knife by way of, I drained away the water and started pushing the potatoes by way of the ricer. It took a bit to get the hold of it — I overloaded the ricer at first, which pressured a giant spurt of scorching potato goo within the improper course — however finally I used to be left with a fluffy pile of squiggly riced potatoes. I warmed cream and butter on the range with contemporary thyme and some cloves of garlic, then stirred the combination into the potatoes till they seemed shiny and creamy. From the primary chunk, I knew that I had the potential to eat this whole pot of potatoes in a single sitting. The mash was luscious, freed from random chunks that may interrupt their ethereal texture, and ridiculously buttery.
I used to be admittedly aggravated, although, after I seemed again and noticed the mess in my wake. The potato ricer was caked with tiny, starchy remnants that appeared super-glued to its many miniscule holes, and I had by some means managed to squirt little glops of potato over a considerable portion of my countertop whereas determining the suitable potato-to-ricer ratio. I had achieved mash nirvana, however at what price?
It was at this level that I spotted that that is a kind of conditions the place you completely have to wash as you go — rinse that rattling ricer earlier than you even take into consideration resting it within the sink whilst you cook dinner the remainder of your dinner! — and simply settle for that slightly extra work is important to attain one of the best end result. I’m all for a kitchen shortcut, however typically you actually do should take that additional annoying step for a bowl of one thing nice. And, after all, make slightly room in your already cramped utensil drawer.
