I‘ve eaten at a lot of restaurants, I’ve cooked at a lot of restaurants. Every Thanksgiving meal someone insists that they make the best mashed potatoes. For the most part, the mashed potatoes I eat are bland and have a horrible texture.

Have you ever bitten into a raw unseasoned russet potato? It is not a very satisfying experience. The potato is crisp, somewhat grainy, and nearly flavorless. Potatoes are like calamari, the only way people will like them is if you add fat and salt.

Some chefs use the classical recipe that calls for nutmeg, well, for me it is a nice change, however it does not do the trick. You will see garlic, or horseradish in mashed potatoes also, this is a fun adaptation if done well. However, usually it is overdone and hardly uncommon these days.

My favorite recipe stems from working in many kitchens and using methods I have learned over the years. Try it out, if done right, your tongue will be amazed!

*Note - I never measured the ingredients when making, so they are “to taste”, let’s hope you have a well trained tongue.

• 20 pounds russet potatoes - peeled

• 1 pound of butter

• 1.5 quarts of milk

• 1.5 quarts of heavy cream

• Salt and Pepper (kosher salt, fresh ground pepper - 7 to 1 ratio)

• Tabasco Sauce

Boil the potatoes, (not steam!), until they are just done, not over done. Drain the water, and put in your giant mixer. Let them dry for a few minutes. Having already put the cream, milk, and butter in a pot and let slowly warmup/melt, pour a little of that mixture into the mixing bowl, along with some S&P mix.

Turn on the mixer using the dough paddle, slowly. Let that work in. There will be no chunks today! Slowly add the cream mixture while adding S&P until the potatoes start to get creamy. Now add a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce.

Then take the whip attachment for your mixer and whip the potatoes while adding the rest of the cream mixture.

Season to taste. The secret is in the Tabasco sauce, you don’t want to be able to actually taste it, but it ads a unique sensation that no one can pinpoint that really makes the mashed potatoes stand out.