Florence kicks off his recipe with a couple of pounds of peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes. He places them in a pot and covers them with a 1:1 blend of heavy cream and whole milk or half and half. This should take about two cups each (four cups dairy total) to completely cover the potatoes. You can also add aromatics like garlic and herbs at this point. Next, you’ll bring the mixture to a gentle simmer rather than a roiling boil, as dairy is more delicate than water and can burn if heated too high. Then you’ll simmer the potatoes in their dairy bath for roughly 15 minutes or until tender.
When it comes time to drain off the liquid, have a bowl stationed underneath your colander so that it can catch all of the infused dairy. After you’ve mashed your potatoes, mix back in your potato-infused cream a little bit at a time. You may not need all the liquid, so hold back some until you feel you’ve reached your desired consistency. Then adjust the seasonings to your taste and bask in the glory of the most flavorful mashed potatoes you’ll ever make.
