I love buttery, cloudlike mash but sometimes I want something softer. I use a floury-textured winter potato beaten with butter and hot milk to produce a snow-white mash suited to mopping up the juices of winter recipes. The quantity of milk will depend on the level of starch present in the potatoes, so I simply stop adding the warm milk when I have the texture I like.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4

　　medium to large floury potatoes – 6

　　bay leaves – 5

　　milk – 3/4 cup (200ml)

　　butter – 5 tablespoons (75g)

　　

Step 1

Peel the potatoes and boil them in deep salted water until tender. Put the bay leaves into the milk in a separate pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside. The bay leaves will gently flavor the milk.

　　

Step 2

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and let sit for a few minutes. Put the potatoes into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat with the butter and a little black pepper. With the mixer on slow, pour in the milk, leaving the bay leaves behind, and continue beating until almost sloppy. Season and serve immediately.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You can make a deeper-flavored, more “earthy” version, by melting the butter and milk together, then whizzing them in a blender with a handful of chopped parsley. The mash will be pale green in color.

　　Tender