Extra Rich Creamed Potatoes

Extra rich creamed potatoes aren't just creamy because they are well mashed; they must have added cream. These are a family favorite.

The secret to smooth, lump-free mashed potatoes, if that is your thing, (I thought they were everyone's thing until I watched Friends, Season 1, Episode 9 when Ross wanted his with lumps, please.) is mashing them while they are hot and warming anything you want to add to them: butter, cream, milk or stock.

These are my very special extra rich creamed potatoes and they make an appearance at Thanksgiving, Christmas and other occasions where there will be gravy and roasted things, like chicken. Tonight is possibly my last Pokeno night in Kuala Lumpur. The promised roasted chicken and gravy, with creamed potatoes, almost cheers me up. Gonna miss these ladies terribly.

Ingredients
4lb or almost 2 kilos russet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup or 113g butter
1 cup or 240ml whipping cream
1 tablespoon or 30g vegetable stock granules
A couple of good grinds fresh black pepper

Method
Peel your potatoes and drop them into a pot of cool water as you do. This keeps them from discoloring or turning brown.



Slice them and pop them back in the water.



Dump that water and add fresh water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and put on the fire to boil, uncovered.



Meanwhile, gently melt your butter in the microwave.



Add the cream and warm it through too. Add the tablespoon of stock granules.



Whisk well. Add the black pepper to the cream/butter mixture.




When the potatoes are very fork-tender, drain and leave in the hot pot. Using a potato masher, get all the lumps out before it cools and before you start adding anything to it.




Add the cream/butter mixture and continue to mash.





Stir it around as well. Finally, use a spoon to stir the potatoes to make sure they are thoroughly mixed.



(To rewarm, it is best to put the potatoes in a microwaveable dish and give them a quick zap. Potatoes rewarmed on the stove tend to stick and burn.)

Enjoy!



P.S. It looks like my house hunting trip to Cairo will have to be postponed because of the coming elections and unrest. Now I am really sad again.