Browned butter adds a subtle warm, nutty flavor to traditional mashed potatoes. To get the creamiest mash - with no lumps and no gluey texture, be sure to use a potato ricer.
3poundsYukon Gold potatoespeeled and cut into 1" dice
1 ½teaspoonskosher salt
7tablespoonsunsalted butter
~1 ¼cupswhole milkwarmed in the microwave
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Garnish
chopped parsley
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt and potatoes. Cook for 12-15 minutes until tender. (You can tell when the potatoes are done by poking one with a very sharp paring knife. If the potato slides off the knife, it's ready -- if it stays on the tip, it needs more time.)
While potatoes are cooking, brown the butter. Place the butter into a small saucepan and heat over medium to medium low heat, until the butter melts. The mixture will begin to foam and spit. This is the water that's present in the butter -- it's evaporating. The milk solids will start to take on a golden color, let it go to a deeper amber, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. When the butter smells nutty and the milk solids have browned, remove from the heat and set aside.
Drain the potatoes. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or better yet -- a potato ricer. Select the finest disc for the ricer and insert it. Fill the ricer with cooked potato and press it through the ricing disc. Continue until the potatoes are all processed.
Stir one cup of hot milk and 6 tablespoons browned butter into the potatoes. If mixture seems dry, add more hot milk about 2 tablespoons at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Add sea salt and stir.
Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of browned butter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.