Is there anything more perfectly lovely than mashed potatoes? Done right, they’re creamy, comforting and flavorful — and such a good vehicle for gravy consumption. The “done right” is the trick, says James Beard award-winning food writer and culinary teacher Raghavan Iyer, author of “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked — and Fried, Too!” (Workman, $17), a paperback homage to the potato in all its global glory.
“The secret of perfect mashed potatoes lies in the right floury potato, a potato ricer and, of course, indulgent fats like cream and butter,” Iyer says. “This cloud-soft fluff is the perfect bed for any and all kinds of herbs, spices, sauces, meats and even vegetables.”
That fluff can be embellished, too, by adding a ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil just before you fold in the liquid, for example, or cooking the potatoes with 3 or 4 large garlic cloves and a small, chopped onion.
