Ingredients
2 lbs russet potatoes (rinsed, peeled,m and cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 lbs red "boiling" potatoes (rinsed, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 tsp kosher salt (which I actually have from his Thanksgiving Turkey recipe)
3/4 cup buttermilk (You can use the last 1/4 cup for a chicken biscuit bake.)
1/4 cup heavy cream (You can use the last 2 3/4 cups of that for alfredo sauce.)
6 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed) I use my garlic smasher for this, since it specifies smashed, not chopped or minced.
Place all spud hunks in a 4-quart saucepan and add just enough cold tap water to cover. (You can put the potatoes in the water and refrigerate them for up to 8 hourse before cooking.) Add 1 tsp of the salt to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. (This will take about 15 minutes.)
Meanwhile, combine the buttermilk, cream, and garlic in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over low heat, watching to make sure the mixture doesn't boil over. Keep the mixture barely bubbling until the potatoes are done.
When the spud water boils, ditch the lid, drop the heat to a simmer, and cook until the spuds are easily crushed with tongs, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan and the heat. Toss and shake gently for 30 seconds or so to knock off any excess surface moisture. (The drier the spuds the better.)
Move the pan to a trivet (hot pad, towel) on the countertop and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp salt. Pour on about a quarter of the buttermilk mixture and start mashing.
As the spuds break down, add more of the buttermilk mixture until you're happy with the results. Remember, these are mashed potatoes, not whippe potatoes. If you over-mash them in an attempt to smooth ever piece you will inevitably rupture starch granules, which can and most likely will result in gummy potatoes.
Let me just say that I love the way Alton words things. He explains it in a way you can understand, and even adds a little science in there if you're following that part well enough. For the recipe, it was really great. Like I said, I'm new to the potato scene, but I really enjoyed these. They had a really nice, subtle flavor that made them not boring. I did half the recipe. I also took the time during naptime to cut my potatoes really small. (1/2 inch chunks is really quite small.) Then I stuck them in water in the fridge for a few hours. I felt like the small chopping really helped it cook faster. (Because that's not common knowledge, but still.) Overall, fab recipe. Expect more from Alton Brown's Good Eats in the future.
