A potato ricer looks like a giant garlic press and works in much the same way—smashing chunks of boiled potato to make smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. You can use it with either white potatoes or sweet potatoes and could even use it to mash other types of foods, such as parsnips or turnips. Most ricers come with several different disks that enable you to make varying puree consistencies.
Here's how to make creamy potatoes with a potato ricer. You can use your own recipe, or try my recipe for Mashed Potatoes:
- Cook peeled chunks of potatoes (about 1 inch cubes) in simmering water for about 15 minutes, or until they're tender enough to crumble if pressed with a fork or your finger. Drain potatoes, and transfer them to a bowl.
- Make sure your ricer is fitted with the appropriate disk (the disk with the widest-diameter holes should be fine), then spoon a few chunks of potatoes into the bowl of the ricer.
- Working over the pot you used to cook the potatoes, or another bowl, push the handles of the ricer together, making sure that the top of the ricer fits into the bowl and presses the potatoes through the holes into the disk. The potatoes will press through the holes in noodle-like strands. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, making sure not to overcrowd the ricer by adding too many potatoes.
- Add butter, warm milk, salt and pepper and other seasonings to your potatoes, and stir them with a wooden spoon to combine. This can be done over low heat to re-warm potatoes.
