We Puzzled 5 Chefs on the Perfect Mashed Potato Spud—Here’s Their Surprising Answer

Using these potatoes, you'll achieve creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes consistently.

Initially, you might believe that mashed potatoes Are simply a humble and cozy side dish, yet each home chef puts their unique twist on this timeless recipe—ranging from keeping the skin intact or removing it entirely, to choosing between boiling, baking, or steaming the potatoes. This staple of Thanksgiving dinners appears straightforward but offers surprising variations. Before deciding how to prepare your potatoes, you must first venture into potato buying... and surprisingly, the type of potatoes selected significantly affects the outcome of your dish.

Considering this, we asked several chefs from across the nation to share their preferred choice of potato for crafting velvety smooth mashed potatoes. Their consensus was clear: Yukon Gold potatoes. These spuds are renowned for their creaminess and rich, buttery flavor, not to mention they’re readily available. Below are the reasons these chefs insist on using them whenever they prepare mashed potatoes.

Related: Huskies versus Reds versus Yukon Golds: Understanding the Variations

Why Yukon Gold Potatoes?

Yukon Gold potatoes are medium-sized and rounded, featuring thin skins over their vibrant yellow flesh. These potatoes were developed from a hybridization involving a North American white potato and a wild South American yellow one. Known for their nearly butter-like flavor, Yukon Golds offer remarkable versatility in cooking. Their texture combines the starchy quality typical of Russet varieties with some of the waxy characteristics often seen in white potatoes such as Red Bliss, allowing them to be roasted, fried, or mashed successfully. As chefs highlight, "These potatoes possess a substantial amount of starch which readily soaks up creams and butters, resulting in a dish that has both a light fluffiness and rich creaminess upon proper preparation." Logan Ramirez Gioia Mia Restaurant in Montclair, NJ, elucidates.

Ramirez points out that the starch level is crucial for achieving a light and airy texture in potatoes. He notes, "Red potatoes and fingerlings do not disintegrate or soak up fat as effectively as Yukon Golds because of their lower starch levels."

In addition to Yukon Gold potatoes, some culinary experts favor Russet potatoes due to their high starch levels and exceptionally light consistency. Nevertheless, these potatoes tend to become glutinous when overly handled. "While you might readily find them and purchase them affordably at your nearby supermarket, Russets could very well be responsible for turning your mashed potatoes into a runny mess," notes the chef. Jack Bennett At International Smoke in San Francisco notes, "During the cooking process, they absorb a significant amount of water and work better in different recipes."

Related: Our Top 30 Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Common Mashed Potato Mistakes

The key to making excellent mashed potatoes doesn't simply lie in choosing the correct type of potato; how you handle the preparation can make all the difference between smooth, tasty spuds and a runny, gummy disaster. One common error chefs often make is: Vanessa Parish The founder of the Queer Food Foundation observes that home cooks often over-mash their potatoes. "Your aim should be to achieve light and fluffy potatoes rather than ones that turn into something as dense as concrete once plated," she notes. She adds, "Extracting too much air from them can lead to heavier-textured mash with an unpleasantly thick consistency."

Incorporating chilled butter and milk into the heated potatoes will similarly result in a coarse end product, Chef. Cedric Domenech At L'Avenue at Saks in New York City, they advise always mashing the potatoes with warm milk and melted butter for optimal consistency. If these ingredients become too cold, the resulting mashed potatoes won't be as smooth. To prevent this, ensure both the butter and milk are heated slightly before mixing them into the potatoes; doing so prevents the potato’s starch from tightening due to rapid cooling.

Related: We Quizzed 3 Chefs About Their Preferred Winter Squash—They All Chimed In With the Same Answer

How to Prepare Mashed Potatoes as a Professional Chef Would

For achieving restaurant-quality mashed potatoes at home, begin with unpeeled potatoes, advises Domenech. It’s crucial to place these directly into cold water rather than adding them later to prevent inconsistent cooking. "Many home chefs tend to remove the skins prior to boiling," notes Domenech, "but keeping the peels intact during both the boiling process—alongside salt—and afterwards ensures superior consistency." He suggests removing the cooled-down skins post-boiling using gloves and a kitchen towel since the cooked spuds can become quite warm.

Regarding the fat content, Bennett suggests opting for cream instead of milk when making mashed potatoes, whereas Domenech advises using a butter with a higher fat percentage, like Vermont unsalted butter, which contains approximately 80% fat. This approach guarantees an exceptionally smooth and rich texture for your mash.

Certainly, if you lack Yukon Gold potatoes for your Thanksgiving feast, you can still prepare mashed potatoes. If you're working with subpar spuds, Chef Jeffrey Williams The chef appointed to lead the innovative project at The Wharf InterContinental in D.C. recommends balancing out the absence of starch with additional flavor profiles. He states, "Should I opt for an alternative to my preferred potato variety, I enjoy incorporating caramelized diced onions cooked in butter, cream, and smoked Gouda cheese into the dish. This combination enhances the overall taste and makes up for the reduced starchy element."

No matter if you're preparing mashed potatoes for a special occasion feast or simply a comforting weeknight supper, selecting the appropriate type of potato could make your guests (or yourself) request additional servings—thus, pick carefully when shopping this season.

Related: 5 Tips for Creating Ideal Velvety Traditional Mashed Potatoes

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