A food expert has revealed the ultimate hack to get the fluffiest mashed potatoes. Chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt, known for his science-driven approach to cooking, discovered the secret after a detailed kitchen experiment.
Kenji, a culinary consultant for Serious Eats and columnist for The New York Times, is also the author of a cookbook that explores the science behind perfecting recipes. Drawing on his expertise, he explained: “To put it simply: for lighter, fluffier potatoes, the goal is to incorporate as little starch as possible in the final product.” After testing three different techniques to reduce excess starch, he found that one rinsing method stood out.
He found that the way to get ultra-fluffy mashed potatoes is rinsing them of excess starch both before and after cooking.
While two of his experiments created relatively fluffy mash, he said “to get the potatoes even fluffier, I found that rinsing the potatoes of excess starch both before and after cooking was the key”.
He added that cutting potatoes into smaller pieces before cooking and rinsing them under cold water will wash away much of the excess starch, while cooking them in their skins helps retain the starch.
Russet potatoes are also ideal according to this chef because they easily fall apart, which means they require less mashing, and in turn means fewer starch granules burst.
By the same logic, carefully pressing potatoes through a ricer helps prevent the potatoes from getting bashed about and breaking down starch granules.
This gentler method prevents overworking the starch and helps maintain that light, airy consistency.
However, for creamy mashed potatoes, another chef had a secret hack that gives them “a delicious tangy kick” which promises to be a “crowd pleaser”.
