Instant Mashed Potatoes Do Not Need to Be Drained
One of my favorite things to do in the Instant Pot (or any other pressure cooker) is root vegetables, which would otherwise take a lot longer. Potatoes certainly fall into this category, especially since you can make a perfectly creamy puree entirely in the Instant Pot without draining the water.
In most instant mashed potatoes recipes, potatoes are cooked in a double boiler over a couple of glasses of water, then filtered and mixed with a little warmed milk and butter. Instead of going through all these steps, I decided to cook them right in a cup in half, along with a few tablespoons of lightly toasted butter and a whole bunch of toasted garlic. (I was a little worried about burns, but there was only one small speck of barely burnt dairy product that did not affect the taste of the potatoes in any way.) When they were cooked, I kneaded everything together with a wooden spoon for creamy juicy mashed potatoes and just one pan to wash. To make them you will need:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 lb. starchy potatoes such as Russet, Yukon Golds, or a mixture of both
- 1 cup halved
- Salt and pepper
Press the sauté button on an instant saucepan and melt the butter, letting it cook, until light golden brown. Add garlic and cook until golden and aromatic. While the garlic is sizzling, wash, peel (if desired) and cut the potatoes into about an inch pieces. Turn off the Instant Pot, let it cool slightly and add half. Add the potato pieces, stir everything and season generously with salt and pepper. If you want to add fresh herbs, throw that in there too. Close the Instant Pot, make sure the release valve is in the “seal” position, and press the manual or pressure cook button (depending on your model) using the + and – buttons to set the time. up to nine minutes.
After the cooking time has elapsed, turn off the pan and release the pressure. Open the pot and stay calm – the contents will look a little unpleasant at first. Just take a deep breath and knead everything with a wooden spoon or potato grinder. Try it, add more salt and pepper if needed and eat.