Buttermilk mashed potatoes made the simple way: boiling potatoes milled smooth, loosened with hot milk and butter, then slackened with cold buttermilk. The tang is the whole point of it. An easy Christmas dinner side dish that goes from peeler to bowl in about thirty minutes flat.
The buttermilk goes in cold and last, after the pan is off the heat. Heat it and the acid splits the milk solids, so you get a grainy mash instead of a smooth one.
The card says two to three servings from a pound and a half of potatoes, which is a very large plate each. For a Christmas table of eight you want four and a half pounds, so triple everything.
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalWaxy potatoes cubed and simmered until they collapse, milled into a warm bowl, then loosened with hot buttered milk and finished with buttermilk for sharpness. Thirty minutes start to finish.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk, or as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Boil the water: Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil in a large pot.
- Cook the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water, bring it back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until they fall apart easily on a fork.
- Warm the milk and butter: Heat the milk and butter together in a small saucepan without letting it boil, then set it aside.
- Mill and loosen: Drain the potatoes and pass them straight through a food mill into a heatproof bowl. Whisk in the hot milk mixture, then add the buttermilk a splash at a time until the mash is creamy.
- Season and hold: Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and serve hot. To keep it warm, set the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes, adding a little extra hot milk if it tightens.
FAQs
What are boiling potatoes?
They are the waxy kinds, red skinned and white round, which hold together in water instead of breaking up. Yukon golds sit in the middle and work here too. Russets drink more liquid, so hold back some of the buttermilk if you use them.
How much buttermilk do I actually add?
The list says half a cup, but the method says add enough to make the potatoes creamy, which is the honest answer. Pour it in a splash at a time and stop when the mash falls slowly off the spoon. Older potatoes soak up more, so the half cup is a ceiling not a target.
Can I use regular milk instead?
You can, and you will have plain mashed potatoes, which is a different dish. The buttermilk is what cuts through the butter and stops the bowl tasting flat next to rich food. Lemon juice stirred into milk is the nearest substitute if you are stuck.
How are these different from velvety mashed potatoes?
That version leans on a cup of heavy cream and olive oil, so it is richer and rounder. This one uses less fat and lets the buttermilk do the work, which keeps it lighter on a heavy plate. If you want the cream version, try these velvety mashed potatoes.
What should I serve them with?
Salty roast meat, because the sharpness in the buttermilk was made to sit against it. Ham is the obvious match at Christmas and the two need no extra sauce between them. A millionaires ham next to these covers the plate.
