Lets talk about Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. They go great with a huge variety of foods. Meatloaf, fried chicken, chicken tenders, and especially salisbury steak. I make sure they are on the menu for every holiday as well.

I have no recipe, no 'formula'. To me they are just pure love. To me they are a feeling. They are that food that in the back of my head I hear 'enough' from my ancestors as I make them.

Simple ingredients, simple cooking, loads of love.

You want good potatoes, most any kind will do. I use golds because that is what I mostly find here, and be smart. Russets, which are great for baking, will not make good mashing potatoes, though I have done it in a pinch.

You want good butter! REAL butter!! Salted or unsalted is up to you. If you use salted you will just add less salt to your potatoes.

Milk. Any percentage will do. I happen to use 1.5% because that is what I keep in the house. Whole milk is good too.

Salt. Simple but important.

I peel my potatoes but if they have thin skins and you like it  you can keep them on.
I cut my potatoes into chunks, mine are about 1-11/2 inches.
I rinse them at every turn. Before peeling, after they are peeling and sometimes I rinse them after they are cut if they are especially starchy.
When ready I put them in a pot with COLD water, with just a sprinkle of salt over the top.
I put a lid on and bring them to a boil. Total time 1 hour. When you put a fork in them they should fall apart.
Drain them.
In the bottom of the pot put a chunk of butter. I start with roughly 125g for my 2 kg bag of potatoes.
Add a splash of milk, cover the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes back into the pot and mash with a potato masher. I DO NOT use an electric hand mixer. I don't like the texture of whipped potatoes but if it's your thing, feel free.
I lightly sprinkle on some salt and mash. If it's too dry looking, I add a splash of milk. Mash and taste. Keep adding milk, butter and salt until you read your desired taste and consistency.

Wall paper paste happens when you have too much starch. Add milk and butter a little at a time.