Why You Should Never Boil Mashed Potatoes in Plain Water
Mashed potatoes are a cherished family favorite, the kind of side dish that shows up at nearly every holiday and Sunday dinner. But if you have ever…
The Problem With Plain Water
Boiling potatoes in plain water is not wrong, exactly, but it is a missed opportunity. Water does one job: it cooks the potatoes through. What it cannot do is add anything back. In fact, as the potatoes soften, some of their natural flavor and starch leaches out into the water, and that flavorful liquid usually goes straight down the drain.
The result can be mashed potatoes that taste a little flat, no matter how much butter and salt you fold in at the end. You end up seasoning the surface rather than building flavor into the potato itself. The fix is to make the cooking liquid work for you instead of against you.