Name: Perfect Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings of potatoes and about 2 cups of gravy
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes; 1 teaspoon salt, for the cooking water; 1 bay leaf; 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk or cream; 2 tablespoons butter; Salt and black pepper; 1/4 cup fat from meat drippings (or butter); 6 tablespoons (45 g) all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour; 2 cups or more liquid from meat drippings (or chicken or beef stock), warmed; Salt and black pepper

Two holiday staples in one recipe: light, fluffy mashed potatoes and a deeply flavored gravy built on a browned roux. The potatoes are starchy russets simmered with salt and a bay leaf, dried briefly in the pot, then mashed with hot milk and butter. The gravy uses fat and juices from a roast, or butter and stock when there are no drippings.

This classic from the KitchenSimplicity archive is made for the Thanksgiving table, but it is just as welcome next to a Sunday roast chicken or meatloaf. The method is simple; a few small habits, like mashing the potatoes while hot and toasting the roux, make the difference.

Tips

Cut the potatoes into same-size pieces so they cook evenly and you do not end up with hard lumps.
Mash gently and avoid a blender or food processor, which turns potatoes gluey. Keep them slightly looser than you think; they firm up as they sit.
To collect drippings, pour the roasting pan juices into a measuring cup, let the fat rise, then spoon it off for the roux and use the juices underneath as part of the liquid. Top up either with butter or stock if you are short.
Both can be made an hour ahead. Keep the potatoes covered over very low heat with an extra splash of warm milk, and rewarm the gravy gently, whisking in a little stock if it thickens.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Yield

4 servings of potatoes and about 2 cups of gravy

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes:
2 lb (900 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, for the cooking water
1 bay leaf
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper
For the gravy:
1/4 cup fat from meat drippings (or butter)
6 tablespoons (45 g) all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour
2 cups or more liquid from meat drippings (or chicken or beef stock), warmed
Salt and black pepper

Steps

Put the potato cubes in a large pot and add cold water to cover by about an inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook until a cube mashes easily with a fork and looks fluffy, 12 to 18 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, warm the milk or cream with the butter in a small saucepan until steaming and the butter has melted. Do not let milk boil.
Drain the potatoes and discard the bay leaf. Return the potatoes to the empty pot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pot, until the surface moisture has steamed off.
Break up the potatoes with a potato masher, then add the hot milk mixture a little at a time, mashing until smooth and fluffy. Stop adding liquid once they reach the texture you like. Season well with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.
For the gravy, melt the fat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until the roux turns a rich brown and smells nutty, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the warm drippings or stock a splash at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition, until all 2 cups are in. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken, adding more liquid if you want it thinner.
Season the gravy with salt and pepper and pour it through a fine-mesh strainer to catch any lumps or bits of meat. Serve hot over the potatoes.