One thing that is rarely missing from the Thanksgiving table is mashed potatoes. I would even argue that if you went to someone’s house for Thanksgiving and they failed to offer mashed potatoes as a side, you would be slightly annoyed and feel jipped out of a proper Thanksgiving spread. And right now, farmer’s markets are overflowing with every spud variety imaginable ( my CSA box has been very heavy handed in their potato offerings lately as well) so not being able to find potatoes can’t be your excuse when it comes time to explain why the potatoes are missing from the menu.
When working with potatoes, a gadget that is often referenced as a “must have” for taking mashed potatoes to the next level is a potato ricer. I’ve only used one ages ago when acting as a sous-chef in a family member’s kitchen and it didn’t leave a lasting impression, so I thought I’d try one out again and see what these fancy gadgets are all about. First off, they look ridiculous and are hideously over-sized. I mean, in my tiny kitchen the thing pretty much needs its own drawer. But I was determined to follow the age-old rule and not judge a book by its cover. A ricer works the same way a garlic press does, by smashing the potato through tiny holes to create a smooth, creamy consistency. The good news is that this gadget is not just for your occasional mashed potato hankering, you can use it to press other foods including sweet potatoes, turnips and even bananas (great for muffins). I have also heard of people putting their steamed spinach in there and pressing it while hot to get all of the extra water out of it.
To use a potato ricer all you do is place a boiled, peeled potato (cut in half) in the ricer’s basket – do not try to rice an un-peeled potato as the skin can’t make it through the tiny holes and will get jammed, trust me, its a mess you want to avoid – then press down on the two levers, pushing the potato through the holes. Little ribbons of potato come shooting through the other end, so be sure your ricer is facing into the bowl to avoid potato landing all over your counter. Oh and I hope you did some push ups before doing this task because it takes some serious muscle, so be prepared to push really hard on the levers. The process of ricing four potatoes took less than five minutes but I did have to open it up a few times and discard some chunks that didn’t make it through the holes in order to de-clog them.
In the end my bowl was piled high with potato ribbons ready for creamy mash. I thought the process was messier than I’d liked, but if they make for the perfect mashed potato I just might buy into the contraption. Tune in on Thursday when I try making mashed potatoes two ways. In the meantime, I’ll be clearing out a space in my kitchen to store this monster of a tool. And if you are searching your own potato ricer this holiday season, LA Times reviews an ergonomically smart model, YumSugar suggests Williams-Sonoma’s ricer, and both OXO ($20) and Browne-Cuisipro ($54) get high marks across the board.
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