Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Recipe Ingredients
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 to 2/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepperDash of cayenne

Instructions

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes until they are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain into a colander.

Put the hot potatoes through a ricer or beat with an electric mixer until mashed. (Do not puree in a food processor or you will end up with wallpaper paste.)

Add the butter and beat until melted and smooth.

Beat in 1/2 cup buttermilk.

If the potatoes are still too thick, beat in the remaining milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until they are of the desired consistency.

Season with the salt, pepper and cayenne.

Yield: 4 servings

Author's notes: If you decide to double or even triple this recipe to feed a large party, you may want to cook the potatoes whole in their skins, which saves a lot of fuss and preparation time.

Start them off in a large pot of cold water and bring them to a boil.

They'll take about 15 minutes longer to cook, but the skins will just slip off when they're done.

Buttermilk adds a wonderful tang, and it has only half a percent more fat than skim milk.

CreditsRecipe from: Cooking From a Country Farmhouse by Susan Wyler (Harperperennial Library)