Mashed Potatoes With Nutmeg

Mashed Potatoes with Nutmeg

In a break from the norm, I’ll be diving straight in today with the world’s best recipe for basic mashed potatoes. Or in this case, mashed potatoes with nutmeg.

This is a failsafe fallback option you simply cannot go wrong with. Shy of the usual salt, pepper and butter, the only extras you need are a dash of nutmeg and some garlic cloves.

The result is creamy, luxurious and indulgent batch of potatoes with that quintessential seasonal taste. All while being so subtle you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love it.

For the purists and the experimentalists in your family, this really is the ultimate no-fuss recipe.

Here’s what you need:

• Large Pot
• Potato Strainer
• Mixing Bowl

How to Elevate Your Mashed Potatoes This Holiday Season

If preferred, you can stick with this fairly basic recipe and nobody will complain. Buttery, creamy and with that tiny hint of spice in the background, it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

But if you’re feeling creative and want to take things up a notch, there’s no shortage of ways to do just that. I’ve personally experimented with about a thousand potato hacks over the years – some of which have proved more useful than others.

As far as the humble mashed potato is concerned, these are by far my personal favorites:

1. Add an Onion to the Liquid While Boiling

First up, simply tossing a peeled onion half in the liquid while boiling the potatoes adds something you can’t quite put your finger on to the final flavor. It doesn’t really taste like onion, but it tastes fantastic. On that note, you can experiment with all manner of different seasonings in the liquid for added flavor. Boiling in a light stock can also produce epic results.

2. Use Yukon Gold Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes

Or if not, then any other similar yellow potatoes that are high in starch. These are the kinds of potatoes that naturally produce fluffy, rich and buttery-tasting results. You can get away with using less butter with yellow potatoes for a healthier mash, or throw in the full amount for a truly decadent result.

3. Boil the Potatoes in Cream and Butter

Speaking of decadence, this borders on the ludicrous but boy…it’s fantastic! When you boil potatoes in water, you discard a ton of the flavor that’s extracted during the cooking process. In which case, why not boil them gently in just the right amount of cream (or milk) and butter, then mash the cooking liquid directly into them? An amazing way to mash mashed potatoes that’s also easier and less messy.

4. Cook the Potatoes in Their Skins

Alternatively, you can cook the potatoes in the normal way, but leave them in their skins. This not only results in a less gluey texture, but also keeps more of the flavor and goodness in your potatoes. You can then mash them including their skins for a super-tasty mash, or dunk them in cold water for 10 seconds before peeling them by hand.

5. Bring the Water to the Boil from Cold for the Mashed Potatoes

There are two schools of thought when it comes to dropping potatoes into boiling hot water, or gradually bring them to the boil. Trust me when I say that the latter is much better, as it results in more even cooking. Something that will help ensure the final dish doesn’t have any of those unpleasant lumps your in-laws will make a point of picking fault with.

6. Always Mash by Hand for Mashed Potatoes

Simple but essential, mashing by hand always results in a better texture than using a machine. Potatoes mashed using an appliance always come out tasting mass-produced and soulless…fact. And just as long as you get it right with the cooking, it shouldn’t be too difficult. If it’s laborious or the result is lumpy, you’re doing it all wrong.

7. Try Buttermilk Instead of Cream and Butter

This is another hack that brings something to mashed potatoes you cannot quite put your finger on. You can switch the cream and butter for the appropriate amount of buttermilk, or mix it up with all three. The resulting texture really is something else, with a creamy and luxurious flavor all of its own.

8. Go Nuts With the Add-Ins for the Mashed Potatoes

Last but not least, the easiest way to take your mashed potatoes to a new a level is to throw a bunch of extras into the mix. By far, the most popular and fool-proof options are scallions, fried onions, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, garlic butter, parsley and parmesan. But there really are no limitations to what can work. If it’s a flavor you like, it’s almost guaranteed to pair well with your potatoes.