There is something about the mashed potatoes that you order in a restaurant that is just so much better than a serving you have at home, and while making mashed potatoes is relatively straightforward, it is clear that professional chefs know something that homecooks don’t when it comes to making a nice bowl of smooth and creamy mash.
Well, Reddit users made it their mission to find out. In a thread on the social media platform, chefs revealed their secret methods, tips, and even the gadgets they use to prepare the ultimate mashed potatoes after a user asked why restaurant mashed potatoes are better.
The initial post in the thread reads: “I’m still figuring out how to cook, but one thing that always confuses me is mashed potatoes at restaurants. They’re so creamy, smooth and buttery without tasting too heavy.
“I don’t know what they’re doing differently, but mine never turn out like that… it still feels like something’s missing.
“Just wondering what makes restaurant mashed potatoes hit different?”
A fine dining chef who says they have worked under Michelin star chefs for many years quickly jumped in to share the method he has been using for years, reports Mail Online.
He said: “[We use] either a tamis with a plastic bench scraper or a China cap with a ladle used to push it through.”
A tamis is a drum-shaped sieve with a disc of fine mesh made of metal, nylon, or horsehair. A China cap is a conical sieve with extremely fine mesh.
The chef added: “When we’d make Pomme Puree [velvety mash] we would do about 16 cups of peeled Yukon gold potatoes soaked (in water to prevent oxidisation) and cup up to an even size.
“Bring them to boil in a pot with just enough salted (and I mean pretty flavourful) water to cover the surface. Less water = better texture mash.
“Once it was boiling I’d reduce it to a simmer until a cake tester came out clean but not where the potatoes got over cooked/mealy. You don’t want that either.”
The expert also advises immediately draining the water, “tamising or ricing” the potatoes into a large bowl and adding simmered heavy cream to the desired texture. Once that’s done, follow it up with around 500g of good quality cold butter.
“The cold butter helps mount and emulsify the potatoes so that they have an incredibly smooth texture,” he added.
“After emulsification we’d sometimes add some garlic thyme brown butter we’d prepped earlier and quickly stir it in so it would stay emulsified. Salt and season to taste.
“Most places I’ve worked have done this or similar.”