Mashed Potatoes

Cut the potatoes to an even size

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks of about 1 1/2 inches. Pieces that match in size finish at the same moment. Ragged pieces give you blown-out edges around raw centers.

Start them in cold salted water

Put the chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt. Cold water heats along with the potatoes, so the outside and the inside cook at the same rate. Dropping them into boiling water cooks the outsides to mush first.

Boil 15 to 20 minutes

Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer. Test at 15 minutes. A paring knife should slide into the center of a chunk and back out with no resistance and no cling. If it grips, give it another 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain and dry them in the pot

Drain in a colander, then return the potatoes to the empty hot pot. Set it over low heat for about a minute and shake it once or twice. The surface moisture steams off and the potatoes look chalky. Wet potatoes take less butter and taste thin.

Mash while hot

A ricer or food mill gives the finest, lightest texture. A hand masher is fine and leaves some body. Never use a food processor or blender. The blades shear the starch granules and turn the whole batch into glue that cannot be fixed.

Add butter first, then warm milk

Take the pot off the heat. Work in the butter until it disappears. Warm the milk or cream in a small pan and add it in splashes until the texture is what you want. Season with salt and pepper and taste again.

Holding them. Mashed potatoes keep for up to 2 hours over a pot of barely simmering water, covered, with a little extra milk stirred in before serving.