Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash the potatoes, then peel and cut into chunks. They do not need to be thin.
- Put them straight into cool salted water so they do not darken.
- Bring to a boil and cook until a fork slides in with no resistance. Cook them all the way down.
- Warm the milk and butter together in the microwave. Cold dairy seizes hot potatoes.
- Drain very well. Get as much water off as you can.
- Put the potatoes in a large bowl or pan. Add the sour cream and let it start melting in.
- Mix on low with a whisk attachment. Stop and push everything back down so nothing is left whole.
- Add the white pepper. Hold off on salt.
- Pour in the warm butter and milk with the mixer running gently. This is where the creaminess comes from.
- Whisk until smooth. Taste, then salt.
- Put 3 tbsp butter on top and let it melt in before serving.
Notes
Go Easy On the White Pepper
In the video I used 3/4 tsp and it was more than I like – it took over the whole bowl. This card is corrected to 1/4 tsp. White pepper is much stronger than black, so start low. You can leave it out entirely and nobody will miss it.
Warm the Butter and Milk First
Cold butter and cold milk seize the potato starch and pull the heat right out of the bowl. Warm them together first and the potatoes stay hot and go creamy instead of stiff.
Good to Know
- The sour cream and the white pepper are both optional – leave out either one and these are still good.
- Salt the cooking water. Potatoes need salt while they cook, not just after.
- Salted butter is already bringing salt, so taste before you add any more.
- Over-working wrecks the starch and turns them gummy. Mix only until smooth, then stop.
- For 6 people instead of 15, use 4 lb potatoes, 3/4 cup milk, 1 stick butter and a pinch of white pepper.
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