Hi Kenji. I'm irish and we know a thing or two about potatoes 😉. It's a thing in Ireland to drain the potatoes in a colander, put it over the pot, and then cover the colander with a clean tea towel to absorb the steam from the potatoes. It works a treat for drying the potatoes.
Ohmygoodness…my Japanese grandfather (~1880-1964) would heat the potatoes after pouring out the cooking water, too. (He did save some of the potato water). He wanted to "dry" them out. He would shake the heated pot, tossing around the potatoes, put back on flame, shake, repeat. Always delicious. I do same today. He had a small cafe in Berkeley, California, in early 1910's.
Interesting. Skins off = fluffier potatoes. Skins on = creamier potato. Rinse after cooking to remove excess starch. This will definitely help folks have great, not gluey potatoes this Thanksgiving. I love Kenji’s in depth explanations. Thank you!
I think the skins on vs off is secondary to cutting the potatoes up. Both peeling and cutting the potatoes into pieces increases surface area that starch can "escape" from.
Peeled and cut into pieces vs boiling the potatoes whole with the skins on then peeling them is, I believe, what was stated. The former resulting is fluffier potatoes; the latter resulting in creamier potatoes. Unless, of course, you want to leave the skins on russet potatoes, which I definitely don’t.
I think I heard in the Thanksgiving video that you've given up drinking; whatever you're doing, you're looking super healthy. Love the content on this channel and the second one.
I use equal parts russet, yukon, and red potatoes. I leave 1/3 of each of them whole, and I cut the other 2/3 into 1 and 2 inch dice. After that, I cook all through, then I mash 1/3 with a masher, 1/3 with a ricer and 1/3 with a food processor. Then I combine with equal parts of salted and unsalted butter and a 1:1:1 mix of milk, half and half, and heavy cream. This is the perfect way to make sure nobody can accuse you of being more than 2/3rds wrong about how you made potatoes and if anyone says "you should have done xy or z" you can say "I did".
Kenji it's so good to see you in a good mood, having a great time cooking and having fun with your camera setup! I've been watching since you first started doing these more "off the cuff" style videos at the beginning of Covid. Things sure have changed a lot since then!
@@carsonscherer4611 You need to chill. Nobody is calling him out here. Kenji mentioned he was quitting drinking. Nobody decides to quit without recognizing there is a problem. And you can pretty much guarantee that someone who is "nursing beer when the cameras are on, is absolutely slamming the booze when nobody is watching. - Coming from someone who has struggled with an alcohol addiction.
I am very grateful for your channel, your books, and your writings online. You really are a great inspiration and source of knowledge. Thank you for existing and doing what you do Kenji :)
One of my favorite holiday tricks is to make the mashed potatoes earlier in the day and bag them and keep them in a sous vide water bath at around 150°F. Then, when I’m ready to serve, I snip on the corner of the bag and essentially pipe them out onto the plates.
A potato ricer is such a blessing for fluffy potatoes. And if you have one with a changeable grate (idk, it's the thing you push the potatoes through), you can get really creamy and not gluey mash with the smaller holes
You inspired me to purchase a rice. I made potatoes with the rice yesterday and they turned out fluffy and delicious. Thanks for being my inspiration. I encourage all of you that wish fluffy potatoes to purchase a rice. You won't be disappointed.
I think you just solved a mystery for me. For years I’ve done the Chefsteps pomme purée which sous vides the potatoes (no surprise). Every year I think “If I slice the potatoes thinner then it’ll cook faster” and that never happens. I have to Hulk-out on the ricer and it makes the whole process not worth it.
13:00 I love putting a bunch of garlic and herbs in my mashed potatoes, especially rosemary. Gotta chop it up really fine, though, and make sure it gets cooked a bit by incorporating it as soon as the potatoes get mashed or riced. I think everyone has their own version of mashed potatoes, though, and honestly, they're pretty much all good. Edit: I should probably put the herbs in the milk and heat that up. I've been using the heat of the potatoes to melt the butter; it never occurred to me to heat up milk and butter separately. Thanks Kenji!
I chuck the whole garlic cloves in the boiling water about 2 or 3 minutes before the potatoes finish and rice them with the taters. garlic mash is always a winner
Yeah I usually like to incorporate the herbs in the butter/milk mixture. Just grab some rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and a couple cloves of crushed garlic and throw it into the mixture and let it seep for some time. All those aromatics just elevates mashed potatoes. If you want some kick to it, even adding some red chili flakes into the mixture is pretty tasty.
Interesting! My mom and I started using yukon golds recently and really fell in love with the flavor and texture - they seem buttery before even adding butter. My mom always just uses a a hand mixer to whip the potatoes up, which seems to work well, although on a few occasions there have been some small undercooked bits of potato left that are hard to puree in, so I’ve filtered them out by pressing through a strainer. Maybe that’s similar to the French technique? They come out VERY creamy. I think my ideal potatoes are less liquidy than what Kenji has here, but super smooth. And then a ton of cold butter on top to melt in 😅
Yukon Gold a permanent staple in our house, very popular in BC Canada There are some wonderful Middle Eastern spices and mixtures in the stores, to really add a beautiful nuance to the potato and meld them with what ever other dishes are being served.
I love just the potato flavor . I just want, milk, butter cream and salt. A chef told me once that the secret to the best mashed potatoes is to not cut the potatoes small for boiling, He said that if you do that the potatoes absorbed too much water and lose that rich potato flavor. So that’s what I’ve done and I think it works. Never rinsed them either. This is a very interesting video. Enjoyed it.
I’ve watched your videos for years and think your mental well being and overall happiness seems to be in a good place right now, brother. Hope you are and stay well!
I like to use black pepper because I can see how evenly its mixed in and how well its distributed in the potato. I also like to season the milk/butter instead of the potato, so when I heat it up it gives a fuller flavor. also for other home cooks, smash (instant mash) can be used to recover over wet potatoes, like if you go over board with milk and butter, its good in an emergancy.
Appreciate the recap of important steps at the end. And that view of the potatoes in the bowl, steam rising and rivulets of butter streaming, was a stellar shot!
Kenji, can you break down why it is that for fluffy mashed potatoes we should use the starchiest variety of potato but then wash as much starch off as we can? Is it something about starch that's inside of cells versus released from ruptured cells or how does that work?
I've spent years perfecting mashed potatoes and Kenji covers everything I've learned through trial and error. The only note being: use white pepper (sparingly) to make it more kid friendly.
If you like mash with cabbage and spring onion you should look up the Irish dish 'colcannon'! Although you probably know it already, but we use both of those thing (plus Irish butter is best in my biased opinion)
I'm so used to Kenji's POV style of video, it felt perverse to watch him walk around the kitchen from behind. Feels I'm stalking him while he cooks. That being said I do think the new angles/camera is a very nice addition.
Hi Kenji, Excellent video; I love your easy to follow explanations. I've been curious about ricers for many years. Your video inspired me and I purchased one. Plan to try it today I will let you know how the 'fluffy' potatoes turn out. You are amazing Kenji. Thank you for creating this video for all of us to learn from.
What I like to do is as an egg yellow once it got slightly runny from milk and butter. It sets it up slightly and makes them even richer. Have to mix it in fast or else it cooks before it's completely mixed under. Premixing a tiny amount of mash off in a bowl before putting it back works too. Also mash needs Muskat and a ton of it.
I grew up with riced potatoes much as you described, then as I learned to cook for myself have gotten much lazier. You reminded me of the best of my home holidays with those lovely fluffy goodies. Thank you so much for all the details--I'm going to put russets on my grocery list (and probably use a food mill as that's what I have instead of a ricer) and make them in this week's meal plan. Oh, and thank you also for going to the extra cost and effort of putting cameras overhead (instead of on your head)--I notice and appreciate it very much, it makes a huge difference for me (lessens my susceptibility to vertigo). Love your videos and your books (great evening reads) and my husband loves the results!
A new approach to mashed potatoes! Love it! All of the rinsing hasn't ever occurred to me but makes total sense. I've started using russet potatoes for mashed because I find the waxy potatoes - Yukon gold and red - get way too starchy and gluey. Personally, I'm a fan of super rustic mashed potatoes, skin on, lots of potato chunks left behind, but most other folks prefer the super smooth version. And my guests get what they enjoy! Can't wait to add these extra ideas to my mashed. Seems simple, but thanks, Kenji!
So, I was doing everything all along except the second rinse... definitely trying that next. Also, I like sometimes some small hints of ground nutmeg in my mash, but my main is still black pepper.
I used a ricer a few times, and I got blowback from the family. They wanted lumps, just like Grandma used to make! (It's also easier to wash a masher than a ricer.) So, I went back to the masher, and our holiday mashed potatoes definitely have some lumps. Texture, baby! Good for ya!
I really love this style of mashed potatoes, especially for thanksgiving. I have never noticed them ever being any worse after reheating in the microwave... maybe I'm just very forgiving when it comes to mashed potatoes.
I've always used an electric hand mixer, Peel them, boil them until soft, mash them a bit with a masher, add milk and butter, whipped with the mixer until done. Always the creamiest potatoes. I've tried switching to a ricer, I've tried using a fine mesh strainer; it was just a bunch of extra work for what I found to be an inferior product (texturally). Never experience gluiness. Thanks for this!
I miss the GoPro view! It made the videos feel very natural, casual and realistic, personally I don't feel like these new camera shots provide any more clarity and probably makes it harder to make the videos too.
Those look amazing. I don't have a ricer or food mill; my favorite method is the Instant Pot, potato masher, and a quick zip with a hand mixer. I use Yukon Golds, as they seem to work better with the pressure cooker. I don't know what it is about the process, maybe the pressure release, or the higher temp, but they end up way fluffier than Yukons have any right to be. And it's rare that I don't add at least a few garlic cloves to cook and include some sour cream with the dairy. And lots of black pepper, of course. I'm liking this multi-camera setup, btw, a really nice middle ground between first-person GoPro and the slick, polished productions that look nice, but (IMO) tend to distance the viewer from the kitchen. Cheers!
They're fantastic, and they last. I've mine 12 years! Mine has different sized plates, so I use it to add texture to soups too mashing vegetables through. Think mine is a judge brand. Cheap and comfortable to use. Dishwasher friendly. Very important
I'm pretty sure I *only* use mine for mashed potatoes, but it's worth having it for that alone. It's also a great calibration point - "Hmm, are these potatoes soft enough yet?" *imagines pushing them through the ricer* yeah, maybe a bit more :-)
@JKenjiLopezAlt I started steaming my potatoes for mashed potatoes after a NYT Cooking article and I like the texture of the mashed potatoes more. What are your thoughts about boiling vs steaming potatoes for mashed potatoes? Thank you
I was just going to ask this very question! I also steam, but see mostly recipes that boil in very salted water to flavor the spuds. I always just thought boiling would make starchier potatoes but haven’t tried it that way so I might be wrong. I’d like to know Kenjis and others’ thought too.
Hadn't thought of mashing them in my stand mixer, but that makes a lot of sense. I'll have to give that a try. And more rinsing off of starch, definitely going to incorporate both of those into my potatoes this year. Mashed potatoes are my wife's favorite, I think she'll be pleased. Thanks Kenji!
I've always done the chef steps sous vide method for my potatoes, but I think I'm going to add in the initial rinse when I do them this year. I've never really paid much attention to starch reduction with their method, but it makes a ton of sense. And I need friend garlic and shallots on my mashed potatoes especially for texture. Thanks as always for such great info. All the best to you and yours.
Nice work here Kenji! I tried cooking some peeled Yukon golds in cream and milk and then mixing with butter and some of the liquid and it came out great--perhaps the cream and milk liquid was a bit too starchy and a teeny bit grainy--but I liked your approach here.
IMO the best way to reheat mashed potatoes is to put a pat of butter in a pre-heated pan, put some potatoes on top and mash them down so you have disk about 1/2" think. Cook until you get a nice crunchy golden layer. Then again I like lumpy mashed potatoes so what do I know.
Outstanding. Thank you. I'll stick to my Silver Palate holiday potatoes, made that recipe my own 30 years ago. But yours look awesome, and you explained things perfectly.
I'll have to try the method with the rincer(?), though the thing i have instead is a Spätzlepresse(you may know southern german nudels, doe put into a similar utensil like he used above hot water = best nuddles ever). Usually i used a potato masher(Kartoffelstampfer hrhr). One thing i will not do though is having pepper in my potatoes. In my univese pepper comes onto meat or into sauces, but i am happy with some muscat, milk and butter.
not even two minutes in and I already know that you will not mention my favorite way of doing it, oven roasting the potatoes in their skin over salt and then adding almost as much butter as their weight to them (and a little bit of milk). Yes, it's creamy.
Kenji, have you seen Adam Ragusea's video on mashed potatoes? His recommendations are very different from yours, like boiling them longer, just using a hand beater, keeping skins on, adding boiling water and possibly powdered milk... it really surprises me that two people with such a "scientific" approach to cooking can come to such differing results. Why do you think that is?
Kenji, I've noticed if I salt a pot of cold water, especially with potatoes, that you can get salt pitting in the bottom of the pan (as I experienced to my chagrin one of the first times I used my new All Clad saucepan to make mashed potatoes). Have you ever experienced that? Since then I am pretty careful only to salt once water is at least simmering, and give it a stir when it goes in...
Hey Kenji, thanks for the great explanations in the video. I’m wondering why the calcium comes out from the finely grated potato to bond with the pectin and not with the larger chunks? The calcium would still be within the mashed potatoes, and even more if you add dairy.
Great tip on the cold water boil, I always do but never knew the reason. Also not the most enviro friendly way of washing potatoes, like brushing teeth, you should turn off the tap between rinses. 🙂
Yeaaaaah, good to see, I guess. I even have a ricer, for Spätzle (the holes might be slightly larger, but it’s basically the same thing) - but that contraption is awkward to clean, so I’m probably sticking with a simple masher. Looks delicious though, I have to admit.
Cook's Illustrated recommended slicing the potatoes. I wonder how that compares to the large dicing. Thanksgiving isn't at our place this year, so will try this weekend for our informal Thanksgiving.
Kenji, love to see your tidbits of wisdom. I had a quick question: I notice that you use a gas stove and your previous residence had a gas stove... it seems like you enjoy them. What is your take on the studies regarding indoor air pollution from gas stoves? I cooked on a gas stove for 10 years and loved it, so please don't take my question as criticism.
If my house didn’t come with a gas stove I would have gotten induction. Most things work better or equally well on induction and for the things that don’t (like stir-frying or charring directly on a flame), there are perfectly fine butane and propane stoves you can use for special use cases.
i always make extra mashed potatoes because the next day i'll fry them up in some corn tortillas with shredded cheese. Crunchy melty cheesy soft potato tacos!
Another great video. I just happened to be referencing your Food Labs book today, looking for the salt/baking powder brine ratio for crispy skin turkey/chicken. Love your book, thank you. I must note you are looking trim and fit Kenji, good for you. 👍💪
So I tried Joel rounchon mashed potatoes this weekend. I got them through a ricer. But no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t get it through my sieve or tamis
@@4tCa4mzUPqRZZo the sieve hack only works for super soft potatoes! if you try it again, make sure you boil them longer and you can also let them steam a bit after draining
Hey Kenji! Whats your new camera setup with the auto-follow? Its super nice however i find that sometimes when it overcorrects or keeps moving it does give me a bit of motion sickness. Do you know if there are sliders for how sensitive the auto-follow is?
I feel this way too. It's sort of an "uncanny valley" of camera work. Human enough to follow someone pretty accurately, but not human enough to make it feel natural at all.
There's no sensitivity setting unfortunately, but I"m gonna just not use the auto-follow from now on. I shot a couple videos with it I need to work through and I've actually edited out the most egregious auto-tracking issues if you can believe it. hopefully it won't be an issue going forward.
Thanks for the consideration! Still a bit curious as to what the camera is. I'm hoping they improve the software for the auto-tracking as it did enhance the video when it was working properly.
Hey Kenji - I expect you are busy and won't have full time to respond to this comment - One difficulty I have had for a very long time is finding a suitable milk and butter substitute in recipes such as this. Mashed potatoes are often an accompaniment to meat dishes. I eat kosher and do not mix milk and meat. This difficulty is common to many dishes but especially to mashed potatoes. I have not found a decent replacement to milk and butter to mashed potatoes that has a similar protein, fat and water ratio and yields a delicious product. Do you have any experience that may help? Many of the substitutes (eg almond milk) do not really work, and others (like oat milk) have ingredients I believe to be unhealthful
hi kenji, may I ask why you light your stove instead of using the click ignite? apologies if this question has already been asked and answered. love learning the science behind cooking from you!
So glad to see Kenji posting often again. Definitely missed this real life, humble yet professional approach. This guy tought me not just how to cook over the past 5 years but why things should or shouldn't be done the way they're done in the kitchen.
Hi Kenji. I'm irish and we know a thing or two about potatoes 😉. It's a thing in Ireland to drain the potatoes in a colander, put it over the pot, and then cover the colander with a clean tea towel to absorb the steam from the potatoes. It works a treat for drying the potatoes.
Ohmygoodness…my Japanese grandfather (~1880-1964) would heat the potatoes after pouring out the cooking water, too. (He did save some of the potato water). He wanted to "dry" them out. He would shake the heated pot, tossing around the potatoes, put back on flame, shake, repeat. Always delicious. I do same today. He had a small cafe in Berkeley, California, in early 1910's.
Interesting. Skins off = fluffier potatoes. Skins on = creamier potato. Rinse after cooking to remove excess starch. This will definitely help folks have great, not gluey potatoes this Thanksgiving. I love Kenji’s in depth explanations. Thank you!
I think the skins on vs off is secondary to cutting the potatoes up. Both peeling and cutting the potatoes into pieces increases surface area that starch can "escape" from.
Peeled and cut into pieces vs boiling the potatoes whole with the skins on then peeling them is, I believe, what was stated. The former resulting is fluffier potatoes; the latter resulting in creamier potatoes. Unless, of course, you want to leave the skins on russet potatoes, which I definitely don’t.
Looks amazing! Simplicity is best!
Skin off = fluffier
Skins on = creamier
Lenny = white
Carl = black
I don't get what is meant by fluffy VS creamy. Is creamier denser than fluffy?
I think I heard in the Thanksgiving video that you've given up drinking; whatever you're doing, you're looking super healthy. Love the content on this channel and the second one.
As someone who just started watching his videos this week. The change in appearance from the old to the new ones is stunning. Keep it up!
I use equal parts russet, yukon, and red potatoes. I leave 1/3 of each of them whole, and I cut the other 2/3 into 1 and 2 inch dice. After that, I cook all through, then I mash 1/3 with a masher, 1/3 with a ricer and 1/3 with a food processor. Then I combine with equal parts of salted and unsalted butter and a 1:1:1 mix of milk, half and half, and heavy cream. This is the perfect way to make sure nobody can accuse you of being more than 2/3rds wrong about how you made potatoes and if anyone says "you should have done xy or z" you can say "I did".
@@kjdude8765they wouldn’t
Perfect 😂
😂😂😂
Ah, a consensus-based mashed potato recipe.
Kenji it's so good to see you in a good mood, having a great time cooking and having fun with your camera setup! I've been watching since you first started doing these more "off the cuff" style videos at the beginning of Covid. Things sure have changed a lot since then!
@@boet764he was drunk before?
@@boet764 what because he was nursing a can of beer on camera in one or two videos? Come on
Does he have an auto-tracking camera?
@@carsonscherer4611 You need to chill. Nobody is calling him out here. Kenji mentioned he was quitting drinking. Nobody decides to quit without recognizing there is a problem. And you can pretty much guarantee that someone who is "nursing beer when the cameras are on, is absolutely slamming the booze when nobody is watching.
- Coming from someone who has struggled with an alcohol addiction.
I am very grateful for your channel, your books, and your writings online. You really are a great inspiration and source of knowledge. Thank you for existing and doing what you do Kenji :)
One of my favorite holiday tricks is to make the mashed potatoes earlier in the day and bag them and keep them in a sous vide water bath at around 150°F. Then, when I’m ready to serve, I snip on the corner of the bag and essentially pipe them out onto the plates.
A potato ricer is such a blessing for fluffy potatoes. And if you have one with a changeable grate (idk, it's the thing you push the potatoes through), you can get really creamy and not gluey mash with the smaller holes
My cheap judge one is good as knew, 12 years later and lots of dishwasher action. Great gadget.
You inspired me to purchase a rice. I made potatoes with the rice yesterday and they turned out fluffy and delicious. Thanks for being my inspiration. I encourage all of you that wish fluffy potatoes to purchase a rice. You won't be disappointed.
I really appreciate the science behind the Why and What with your style of cooking. Awesome. Request - scrambled eggs.
You may have already seen it but he does have a vid “Really Good Scrambled Eggs” from about two years ago.
I think you just solved a mystery for me. For years I’ve done the Chefsteps pomme purée which sous vides the potatoes (no surprise). Every year I think “If I slice the potatoes thinner then it’ll cook faster” and that never happens. I have to Hulk-out on the ricer and it makes the whole process not worth it.
Love it when Kenji says yum yum good. Makes the whole video.
13:00 I love putting a bunch of garlic and herbs in my mashed potatoes, especially rosemary. Gotta chop it up really fine, though, and make sure it gets cooked a bit by incorporating it as soon as the potatoes get mashed or riced. I think everyone has their own version of mashed potatoes, though, and honestly, they're pretty much all good.
Edit: I should probably put the herbs in the milk and heat that up. I've been using the heat of the potatoes to melt the butter; it never occurred to me to heat up milk and butter separately. Thanks Kenji!
I chuck the whole garlic cloves in the boiling water about 2 or 3 minutes before the potatoes finish and rice them with the taters. garlic mash is always a winner
@@hurgcat I do the same and also add 1-2 heads of roasted garlic while mashing.
Yeah I usually like to incorporate the herbs in the butter/milk mixture. Just grab some rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and a couple cloves of crushed garlic and throw it into the mixture and let it seep for some time. All those aromatics just elevates mashed potatoes. If you want some kick to it, even adding some red chili flakes into the mixture is pretty tasty.
Interesting! My mom and I started using yukon golds recently and really fell in love with the flavor and texture - they seem buttery before even adding butter. My mom always just uses a a hand mixer to whip the potatoes up, which seems to work well, although on a few occasions there have been some small undercooked bits of potato left that are hard to puree in, so I’ve filtered them out by pressing through a strainer. Maybe that’s similar to the French technique? They come out VERY creamy. I think my ideal potatoes are less liquidy than what Kenji has here, but super smooth. And then a ton of cold butter on top to melt in 😅
Yukon Gold a permanent staple in our house, very popular in BC Canada
There are some wonderful Middle Eastern spices and mixtures in the stores, to really add a beautiful nuance to the potato and meld them with what ever other dishes are being served.
The way I cheered when you added the rest of the cream and butter
I love just the potato flavor . I just want, milk, butter cream and salt. A chef told me once that the secret to the best mashed potatoes is to not cut the potatoes small for boiling, He said that if you do that the potatoes absorbed too much water and lose that rich potato flavor. So that’s what I’ve done and I think it works. Never rinsed them either. This is a very interesting video. Enjoyed it.
Never thought about intentionally removing starch. Always learning something from you, Kenji. Thank you for sharing.
I like to add carrots to smashed potatoes. The colour is beautiful, and taste is greatest of all!
I’ve watched your videos for years and think your mental well being and overall happiness seems to be in a good place right now, brother. Hope you are and stay well!
In the Netherlands we add onions and carrots, season with nutmeg and call it a meal (hutspot)
I like to use black pepper because I can see how evenly its mixed in and how well its distributed in the potato.
I also like to season the milk/butter instead of the potato, so when I heat it up it gives a fuller flavor.
also for other home cooks, smash (instant mash) can be used to recover over wet potatoes, like if you go over board with milk and butter, its good in an emergancy.
Appreciate the recap of important steps at the end. And that view of the potatoes in the bowl, steam rising and rivulets of butter streaming, was a stellar shot!
Kenji, can you break down why it is that for fluffy mashed potatoes we should use the starchiest variety of potato but then wash as much starch off as we can? Is it something about starch that's inside of cells versus released from ruptured cells or how does that work?
I've spent years perfecting mashed potatoes and Kenji covers everything I've learned through trial and error. The only note being: use white pepper (sparingly) to make it more kid friendly.
What on earth does black vs. white pepper have to do with kids? Is black pepper unhealthy for kids or something?
@@JKenjiLopezAlt my kids tend to pick at the black specks instead of eating it, for whatever reason. They're very young though!
I love just how much of a science cooking is.
I love how it’s an artistic science. It’s a beautiful fusion of applied physics and mixed media.
If you like mash with cabbage and spring onion you should look up the Irish dish 'colcannon'! Although you probably know it already, but we use both of those thing (plus Irish butter is best in my biased opinion)
I'm so used to Kenji's POV style of video, it felt perverse to watch him walk around the kitchen from behind. Feels I'm stalking him while he cooks. That being said I do think the new angles/camera is a very nice addition.
What came to my mind is, Whoah, there’s a window above his sink. I, too, like his additional camera.
Hi Kenji, Excellent video; I love your easy to follow explanations. I've been curious about ricers for many years. Your video inspired me and I purchased one. Plan to try it today I will let you know how the 'fluffy' potatoes turn out. You are amazing Kenji. Thank you for creating this video for all of us to learn from.
What I like to do is as an egg yellow once it got slightly runny from milk and butter. It sets it up slightly and makes them even richer. Have to mix it in fast or else it cooks before it's completely mixed under. Premixing a tiny amount of mash off in a bowl before putting it back works too. Also mash needs Muskat and a ton of it.
I grew up with riced potatoes much as you described, then as I learned to cook for myself have gotten much lazier. You reminded me of the best of my home holidays with those lovely fluffy goodies. Thank you so much for all the details--I'm going to put russets on my grocery list (and probably use a food mill as that's what I have instead of a ricer) and make them in this week's meal plan. Oh, and thank you also for going to the extra cost and effort of putting cameras overhead (instead of on your head)--I notice and appreciate it very much, it makes a huge difference for me (lessens my susceptibility to vertigo). Love your videos and your books (great evening reads) and my husband loves the results!
If you put green onions and sauteed kale in like you mentioned, then you have Colcannon! Yum.
Think I speak for everyone who gets bad motion sickness when I say I really appreciate the new camera angles, much less of an issue.
A new approach to mashed potatoes! Love it! All of the rinsing hasn't ever occurred to me but makes total sense. I've started using russet potatoes for mashed because I find the waxy potatoes - Yukon gold and red - get way too starchy and gluey. Personally, I'm a fan of super rustic mashed potatoes, skin on, lots of potato chunks left behind, but most other folks prefer the super smooth version. And my guests get what they enjoy!
Can't wait to add these extra ideas to my mashed. Seems simple, but thanks, Kenji!
Yes for the rustic version. If I’m eating them with my mother, skin on and chunky.
OMG! I never realized there could be a course on Potato Science, but there you have it. Kudos, Kenji.
Kenji's channel is 85% food science...he has books about it - that's his thing 😅😊
Kenji is a leading potatologist.
This was great Kenji! A good midground between casual and professional styles. You look like you are having fun, and that's what matters!
So, I was doing everything all along except the second rinse... definitely trying that next. Also, I like sometimes some small hints of ground nutmeg in my mash, but my main is still black pepper.
I used a ricer a few times, and I got blowback from the family. They wanted lumps, just like Grandma used to make! (It's also easier to wash a masher than a ricer.) So, I went back to the masher, and our holiday mashed potatoes definitely have some lumps. Texture, baby! Good for ya!
I really love this style of mashed potatoes, especially for thanksgiving. I have never noticed them ever being any worse after reheating in the microwave... maybe I'm just very forgiving when it comes to mashed potatoes.
46 seconds into watching this late at night and already loving the new angles! awesome!
Garlic roasted until its super soft, mixed with butter and herbs is what I like.
I am 100% use a ricer and skin off, about 1-2 inch chunks. Very good tips here, thanks Kenji!
Thanks, Kenji. I routinely use a ricer for mashed potatoes. It’s the only way to go. Happy Thanksgiving from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Man, appreciate the latest videos... Really takes away the stress of figuring out the nuances of making a thanksgiving dinner
I've always used an electric hand mixer, Peel them, boil them until soft, mash them a bit with a masher, add milk and butter, whipped with the mixer until done. Always the creamiest potatoes. I've tried switching to a ricer, I've tried using a fine mesh strainer; it was just a bunch of extra work for what I found to be an inferior product (texturally). Never experience gluiness. Thanks for this!
I use the stand mixer!
One of my favorite TH-camrs. Learn something new on every video.
I miss the GoPro view! It made the videos feel very natural, casual and realistic, personally I don't feel like these new camera shots provide any more clarity and probably makes it harder to make the videos too.
Used your all of your fluffy mashed potato recommendations and it was truly WONDERFUL. I will never make mashed any other way.
Great video. Have learned so much from you over the years and the content just keeps getting better. Nice to see your face!
Those look amazing. I don't have a ricer or food mill; my favorite method is the Instant Pot, potato masher, and a quick zip with a hand mixer. I use Yukon Golds, as they seem to work better with the pressure cooker. I don't know what it is about the process, maybe the pressure release, or the higher temp, but they end up way fluffier than Yukons have any right to be. And it's rare that I don't add at least a few garlic cloves to cook and include some sour cream with the dairy. And lots of black pepper, of course.
I'm liking this multi-camera setup, btw, a really nice middle ground between first-person GoPro and the slick, polished productions that look nice, but (IMO) tend to distance the viewer from the kitchen. Cheers!
Yukon Gold and heavy whipping cream for me, all the way! Nobody ever puts in enough salt. And yes please on the black pepper!
Now my wife wants me to buy her a potato ricer. Thank you Kenji. I enjoyed you talk about the science of potato cooking
They're fantastic, and they last. I've mine 12 years! Mine has different sized plates, so I use it to add texture to soups too mashing vegetables through. Think mine is a judge brand. Cheap and comfortable to use. Dishwasher friendly. Very important
I'm pretty sure I *only* use mine for mashed potatoes, but it's worth having it for that alone. It's also a great calibration point - "Hmm, are these potatoes soft enough yet?" *imagines pushing them through the ricer* yeah, maybe a bit more :-)
@JKenjiLopezAlt I started steaming my potatoes for mashed potatoes after a NYT Cooking article and I like the texture of the mashed potatoes more. What are your thoughts about boiling vs steaming potatoes for mashed potatoes? Thank you
I was just going to ask this very question! I also steam, but see mostly recipes that boil in very salted water to flavor the spuds. I always just thought boiling would make starchier potatoes but haven’t tried it that way so I might be wrong. I’d like to know Kenjis and others’ thought too.
Hadn't thought of mashing them in my stand mixer, but that makes a lot of sense. I'll have to give that a try. And more rinsing off of starch, definitely going to incorporate both of those into my potatoes this year. Mashed potatoes are my wife's favorite, I think she'll be pleased. Thanks Kenji!
I've now watched so many of Kenji's videos that I reflexively go, "mmmh" after every taste when I'm cooking.
Similarly, watching Claire Saffitz makes me have the verdict of "MMM" about every bake.
I love Kenji's chemistry class.
One of the very best videos ever produced on this channel. Production value is top notch too.
Please pretty please do sweet potatoes too!
I've always done the chef steps sous vide method for my potatoes, but I think I'm going to add in the initial rinse when I do them this year. I've never really paid much attention to starch reduction with their method, but it makes a ton of sense. And I need friend garlic and shallots on my mashed potatoes especially for texture. Thanks as always for such great info. All the best to you and yours.
Nice work here Kenji! I tried cooking some peeled Yukon golds in cream and milk and then mixing with butter and some of the liquid and it came out great--perhaps the cream and milk liquid was a bit too starchy and a teeny bit grainy--but I liked your approach here.
This recipe (and its rich and creamy counterpart) has been up on my phone since last week! Thrilled that there's now a video.
I just made mashed potatoes for myself a few nights ago. When I reheated the leftovers I mixed in a little chicken bouillon. It really kicked it up.
IMO the best way to reheat mashed potatoes is to put a pat of butter in a pre-heated pan, put some potatoes on top and mash them down so you have disk about 1/2" think. Cook until you get a nice crunchy golden layer. Then again I like lumpy mashed potatoes so what do I know.
Did you make a bowl of mashed taters as a stand alone meal? You mad genius. I love you
My kids loved these potatoes for thanksgiving dinner. They came out great.
Happy to discover Kenji has a channel. I have his book *The Food Lab* and it's terrific.
Outstanding. Thank you. I'll stick to my Silver Palate holiday potatoes, made that recipe my own 30 years ago. But yours look awesome, and you explained things perfectly.
I'll have to try the method with the rincer(?), though the thing i have instead is a Spätzlepresse(you may know southern german nudels, doe put into a similar utensil like he used above hot water = best nuddles ever). Usually i used a potato masher(Kartoffelstampfer hrhr).
One thing i will not do though is having pepper in my potatoes. In my univese pepper comes onto meat or into sauces, but i am happy with some muscat, milk and butter.
not even two minutes in and I already know that you will not mention my favorite way of doing it, oven roasting the potatoes in their skin over salt and then adding almost as much butter as their weight to them (and a little bit of milk). Yes, it's creamy.
looking fit nowadays Kenji, get after it
lol, I literally just made Joël Robuchon mashed potatoes this weekend. And wasn’t a huge fan. May try this next.
the opening clip, god this man is adorable protect him at all costs!!!!!
Kenji, have you seen Adam Ragusea's video on mashed potatoes? His recommendations are very different from yours, like boiling them longer, just using a hand beater, keeping skins on, adding boiling water and possibly powdered milk... it really surprises me that two people with such a "scientific" approach to cooking can come to such differing results. Why do you think that is?
I haven't seen it so can't really tell you what goal he was after.
Kenji, I've noticed if I salt a pot of cold water, especially with potatoes, that you can get salt pitting in the bottom of the pan (as I experienced to my chagrin one of the first times I used my new All Clad saucepan to make mashed potatoes). Have you ever experienced that? Since then I am pretty careful only to salt once water is at least simmering, and give it a stir when it goes in...
I prefer the tried and true wooden spoon, the silicon stuff smells and tastes funny. That being said, my potato game just went up double digits!
Hey Kenji, thanks for the great explanations in the video. I’m wondering why the calcium comes out from the finely grated potato to bond with the pectin and not with the larger chunks? The calcium would still be within the mashed potatoes, and even more if you add dairy.
It does, but when you cut into smaller pieces you rupture a lot more cells so the calcium is much more concentrated in the liquid.
Great tip on the cold water boil, I always do but never knew the reason. Also not the most enviro friendly way of washing potatoes, like brushing teeth, you should turn off the tap between rinses. 🙂
I like the new Kenji look!
Yeaaaaah, good to see, I guess. I even have a ricer, for Spätzle (the holes might be slightly larger, but it’s basically the same thing) - but that contraption is awkward to clean, so I’m probably sticking with a simple masher. Looks delicious though, I have to admit.
Sometimes the basics need to be reiterated. Glad to see your videos. Please do go on. Thanks.
I love a hint of freshly ground nutmeg in my mashed potatoes.
At what point of the process do you add the nutmeg? I would like to add some to my potatoes this year. Thank you.
I add it at the end, after adding my butter and cream and checking for seasoning. It’s delicious 😋
Kenji, you look maaahvelous! Thank you for the tips, Happy Thanksgiving!
love the explanations you give, like with size of dice vs grating...you are awesome!
That initial plop into the bowl was satisfying.
Cook's Illustrated recommended slicing the potatoes. I wonder how that compares to the large dicing. Thanksgiving isn't at our place this year, so will try this weekend for our informal Thanksgiving.
As always this is a great tutorial. Thanks Kenji!
Bacon bits or Parmesan crisp goes also very nicely on top
Kenji, love to see your tidbits of wisdom. I had a quick question: I notice that you use a gas stove and your previous residence had a gas stove... it seems like you enjoy them. What is your take on the studies regarding indoor air pollution from gas stoves? I cooked on a gas stove for 10 years and loved it, so please don't take my question as criticism.
If my house didn’t come with a gas stove I would have gotten induction. Most things work better or equally well on induction and for the things that don’t (like stir-frying or charring directly on a flame), there are perfectly fine butane and propane stoves you can use for special use cases.
i always make extra mashed potatoes because the next day i'll fry them up in some corn tortillas with shredded cheese. Crunchy melty cheesy soft potato tacos!
i actually like adding a bit of lemon or lime zest, and even a bit of the juice to cut down the richness a bit. but i am still liberal with the butter
I absolutely love the way he does his videos. 😊
Another great video. I just happened to be referencing your Food Labs book today, looking for the salt/baking powder brine ratio for crispy skin turkey/chicken. Love your book, thank you. I must note you are looking trim and fit Kenji, good for you. 👍💪
pushing through a large sieve if you don't have a ricer is a good way to get them smooth!
So I tried Joel rounchon mashed potatoes this weekend. I got them through a ricer. But no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t get it through my sieve or tamis
@@4tCa4mzUPqRZZo the sieve hack only works for super soft potatoes! if you try it again, make sure you boil them longer and you can also let them steam a bit after draining
I have been dying to try and make a miso tonkotsu mashed potato and I think this is life telling me to do it
JKLA picking out the potato cube from the drain made me feel normal 😂
Hey Kenji! Whats your new camera setup with the auto-follow? Its super nice however i find that sometimes when it overcorrects or keeps moving it does give me a bit of motion sickness. Do you know if there are sliders for how sensitive the auto-follow is?
I feel this way too. It's sort of an "uncanny valley" of camera work. Human enough to follow someone pretty accurately, but not human enough to make it feel natural at all.
There's no sensitivity setting unfortunately, but I"m gonna just not use the auto-follow from now on. I shot a couple videos with it I need to work through and I've actually edited out the most egregious auto-tracking issues if you can believe it. hopefully it won't be an issue going forward.
Thanks for the consideration! Still a bit curious as to what the camera is. I'm hoping they improve the software for the auto-tracking as it did enhance the video when it was working properly.
It’s a JSI OSMO tripod/gimbal with a regular iPhone attached.
Hey Kenji - I expect you are busy and won't have full time to respond to this comment - One difficulty I have had for a very long time is finding a suitable milk and butter substitute in recipes such as this. Mashed potatoes are often an accompaniment to meat dishes. I eat kosher and do not mix milk and meat. This difficulty is common to many dishes but especially to mashed potatoes. I have not found a decent replacement to milk and butter to mashed potatoes that has a similar protein, fat and water ratio and yields a delicious product. Do you have any experience that may help? Many of the substitutes (eg almond milk) do not really work, and others (like oat milk) have ingredients I believe to be unhealthful
hi kenji, may I ask why you light your stove instead of using the click ignite? apologies if this question has already been asked and answered. love learning the science behind cooking from you!
Kenji thinned tf out good job Mr Lopez
So glad to see Kenji posting often again. Definitely missed this real life, humble yet professional approach. This guy tought me not just how to cook over the past 5 years but why things should or shouldn't be done the way they're done in the kitchen.
the cinematography here is next level