Classic Mashed Potatoes

Preparation info
  • Serves

    5 to 6

    • Difficulty

      Easy

    • Ready in

      25 min

Appears in
Cooking with the Firehouse Chef: The Food that Fuels New York’s Bravest

By Keith Young

Published 2005

  • About

I learned from Tom Lynch, a senior man at L-19 in the Bronx, that you don’t mess with mashed potatoes; they are a perfect food.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ cup butter

Method

Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, or transfer them to a stainless-steel mixing bowl if using an aluminum pot. Add the butter and sour cream and mash until the potatoes are smooth and t