Make Mashed Potatoes Easier With a Cooling Rack
I don’t have a potato masher. I have a potato processing machine because it does the job better. Instead of pounding the potatoes around the pan with a masher, I push them through the rice cooker, squeezing them into tiny pieces that can be gently mixed with warmed dairy, reducing the amount of puree needed to keep the potatoes from getting gooey. Another benefit of a ricer is that it traps the skin so you don’t have to peel the potatoes before boiling.
As you can see from the TikTok video below, the wire rack is like a hybrid of ricer and mash. You won’t get the same tiny potato chunks as in a ricer, but you’ll get uniform potato chunks for a smoother mash, and the skins will stay on top of the basket.
If this hack sounds familiar to you, it’s because we’ve looked at this way of using wire racks when mashing avocados, but it works the same way with potatoes. You can, as @xxiamkristinxx points out, cook the potatoes whole, then cut them in half and push them cut-side down through the grate, but I like to cut them in half (or even quarters) before boiling to get them cooked. a little faster, and I prefer slicing cold, raw potatoes than slicing hot potatoes. (Also, it should be taken for granted, but you can use any potato you like, including the creamy yukon, not just the reddish brown used here by Ms. Christine Xx.)
Once the potatoes have been pushed through the grate, you can handle them however you like. Add some warmed cream, some mayonnaise, lots of butter and (maybe) a pinch of monosodium glutamate. (Or, if you need more inspiration, check out this collection of mashed potato wisdom. I’m partial to mashed potatoes with onion sauce.)