Versatile Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

From In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard (New York: William Morrow).

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces

Kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, add cold water to cover by 1 inch, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become waterlogged.

2. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, and cook over medium heat, tossing a few times until dry, about 5 minutes.

3. While the potatoes are still warm, crush them with a potato masher. Alternatively, you can push them through a ricer into a bowl; just don't let them cool, or they'll be too gummy to push through the ricer.

4. Combine the cream and buttermilk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just to the point of scalding, do not boil. Whisk the butter and the scalded cream mixture into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Lemon Mashed Potatoes

Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest to the saucepan when heating the cream and buttermilk. Whisk 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice into the potatoes along with the butter and the cream mixture in Step 4. If you're inclined to want more lemon flavor, increase the amount of lemon zest and lemon juice cautiously. A subtle taste of lemon can become an overpowering one quite quickly. The only downside to adding the lemon to mashed potatoes is that the taste soon fades. If you want to restore the lemon flavor in leftovers, whisk in freshly squeezed lemon juice just before serving.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For a subtle sweet garlic flavor, mash 1/4 cup roasted garlic into a paste. Whisk the paste into the potatoes after adding the butter in Step 4.

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