Q Will you end my mashed-potato quandary? Cooks on TV seem to cook potatoes for mashing two ways -- boiling them unpeeled but cut up, or peeling before boiling. I steam my potatoes instead of boiling them. Which of these is correct?
A Let's confound the issue with a fourth method. I never peel or cut potatoes before simmering because they absorb water, which doesn't help in making mashed potatoes. Medium to small potatoes are my choice since they cook evenly. Big ones cook unevenly.
Your steaming trumps all of these methods. You keep more nutrients in the potatoes and that water left in the bottom of the pot is great to save for vegetable or meat stocks, or for adding to soups and braises (the theory is, waste nothing that has flavor). Stay with this method, and if you'd like, try this take on mashed potatoes.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table" radio show from American Public Media, and is the co-author of "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions." To reach her, see www.splendidtable.org.
