Ingredients Vegetables Potato Recipes Mashed Potato Recipes Potato Puree This silky, decadent dish isn't your average mash. Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 55 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 cups Jump to recipe Martha’s potato puree is a silky, decadent side dish that will elevate any entrée and be right at home on the holiday table. Russet potatoes are her pick for this recipe. She steams them instead of boiling for the lightest possible texture. While the potatoes cook, she browns some butter, then pours it over fresh thyme and crushed garlic to infuse the fat with just a touch of flavor. Combined with heavy cream, it adds a luxurious richness to the final dish that simply can’t be beat. Serve this impressive side of spuds with roasted or seared meat or fish for an all-star, restaurant-quality meal. The Difference Between Waxy, Starchy, and All-Purpose Potatoes Credit: Kelsey Hansen Dos and Don'ts for a Decadent Potato Puree Do steam your potatoes: Steaming, rather than boiling your potatoes, serves two main purposes: They cook in less time and absorb less water, resulting in a drier, lighter finished texture. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can place a few tangerine-sized balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot and set a heatproof plate on top. Do use the right type of spuds: While we're on the topic of potatoes, be sure to use starchy spuds like russets, also known as Idaho, and not a waxy variety like Yukon golds. Waxy potatoes hold onto more moisture than russets, which is handy for helping them maintain their shape, but not for forming a silky puree like we're aiming for here. Don't let them cool completely: Once the potatoes have steamed, you can let them cool off for a few seconds before moving them to the sieve, but no more than that. They should be soft and pliable when you pass them through the strainer, retaining as much heat as possible for serving. (Serving them on a heated plate—use a 200°F oven or lower—will also help tremendously.) Do use plenty of fat: When stirring the butter and heavy cream into the potato puree, it may look like far too much liquid, but for the silkiest, richest potatoes, all of that fat is key. Keep gently stirring and folding until it's all absorbed—you'll thank us later. Don't reach for a machine: As tempting as it may be to toss the spuds into a food processor or blender, it's the last thing you want to do when making potato puree. Those machines are too vigorous and will turn the potatoes into a gluey mess. When browning the butter, use a light colored saucepan if you have one. It'll make it easier to monitor the color of the butter as the milk solids brown and catch them before they burn. Directions Credit: Kelsey Hansen Prepare pot and steamer basket; boil water: Fill a large pot with about 2 inches water. Set steamer basket in pot (water should not come through the holes). Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a rapid simmer. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Steam potatoes: Add potatoes to steamer basket, then cover and steam until tender when pierced with a knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Make brown butter, then strain over thyme and garlic; add cream: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the butter is deep golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Place the thyme and garlic in a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Strain the butter over the garlic and thyme into a medium bowl, add cream, and whisk to combine. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Credit: Kelsey Hansen Pass potatoes through first sieve: Remove potatoes from steamer basket. Drain, and immediately press through a medium mesh sieve into a large bowl using a rubber spatula. Credit: Kelsey Hansen If desired, you can mash the potatoes gently with a potato masher before pushing through the first sieve. Add cream mixture; pass through fine sieve: Fold the cream mixture into the potatoes. Press mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Credit: Kelsey Hansen How to Store and Reheat Potato Puree Leftover potato puree can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally and adding more cream as needed to reach the desired consistency. What to Serve With Martha's Potato Puree Serve this silky, luscious puree alongside roasted or seared proteins like chicken, beef, pork, or fish. It would be heavenly with our sautéed black sea bass with herbed butter sauce or our lemony spatchcocked chicken. For a special-occasion meal, pair it with our peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin or this savory, fennel-and-garlic rubbed pork roast. 5 More Mashed Potato Recipes to Try Sour-Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese Herbed Mashed Potatoes Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.