11 Ways Celebrity Chefs Make Mashed Potatoes

“I owe everything to these mashed potatoes. Maybe it's a little bit of nostalgia, Proust's madeleines. Everyone has in his memory the mashed potatoes of his mother, the mashed potatoes of his grandmother.”

1. Joël Robuchon

   When it comes to mashed potatoes, perhaps no celebrity chef can compare to the late Joël Robuchon. Over the course of his lifetime, Robuchon earned 31 Michelin stars — well more than any other chef in the food guide's history (per Escoffier ). And while he could prepare any number of incredible meals, Robuchon considered the mashed potato to be his masterpiece. As reported by The Washington Post, the chef once famously declared: "I owe everything to these mashed potatoes. Maybe it's a little bit of nostalgia, Proust's madeleines. Everyone has in his memory the mashed potatoes of his mother, the mashed potatoes of his grandmother." Unlike some mashed potatoes, which rely on complex ingredients for flavor, Robuchon's version is quite simple in terms of components. As reported by Time, the chef made his specialty using only four ingredients: Potatoes, butter, milk, a

2. Andrew Rudd

   Joël Robuchon isn't the only celebrity chef to ever emphasize the importance of using the right equipment to make mashed potatoes. Irish TV chef, Andrew Rudd, also has a preference for using proper mashing tools. As Rudd advised in an interview with RSVP Live, "Cook your potatoes as normal [when preparing mashed potatoes]... If you have a ricer, make sure you use it." However, the chef also conceded that there are alternative mashing devices available to folks who don't want to invest in a new machine. "A hand blender or a paddle are also great tools. My mam and dad used these for years," Rudd explained. However, unlike Robuchon, who relied on only four ingredients, Rudd told RSVP that he adds several types of seasoning to his mashed potatoes. His recipe even includes something of a secret ingredient: Nutmeg. "Get a small saucepan and add in cream, milk, sal

3. Anthony Bourdain

   Mashed potatoes and butter go together, like ham and cheese, or peanut butter and jelly. The two ingredients are just one of those classic combinations that never seem to get old. The magic of this pairing was something that the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain seemed to understand thoroughly. According to Insider, the former star of the long-running show "No Reservations" didn't just add a smidge of butter to his potatoes — he added sticks at a time. To be more accurate, Bourdain would reportedly shoot for a ratio of one and a half sticks of butter per pound of potatoes. If that seems like a lot of butter, it's because it is. Upon trying out Bourdain's recipe, the journalist for Insider reported, "No matter how hard I tried, I could not mix all of the butter [into the potatoes]." However, there are some tricks that you can use to avoid this hiccup. For one t

4. Emeril Lagasse

   If you aren't in the mood to soak your mashed potatoes in butter, you might consider trying Emeril Lagasse's recipe. The American celebrity chef and cookbook author doesn't add nearly as much butter to his mashed potatoes and instead relies on his own secret ingredient to add flavor: Garlic. As reported by Insider, the garlic component in Emeril's mashed potatoes adds a certain level of complexity to an otherwise simple side. While adding garlic to your mashed potatoes might sound like an easy way to boost their flavor, you should try to avoid some common garlic mistakes. For one thing, you should avoid buying pre-minced garlic, which never tastes as fresh as the garlic you mince at home. For another, you should be certain to pick a high-quality bulb in the supermarket. According to cooking show sensation, Rachael Ray, there are a few sure-fire ways to determine t

5. Gordon Ramsay

   It's no secret that a lot of folks associate mashed potatoes with Thanksgiving. However, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has a mashed potatoes recipe that caters to a much greener holiday: St. Patrick's Day. As reported by Tasty, the "Hell's Kitchen" star based his mashed potatoes recipe on a classic Irish side, known as champ. Champ mixes components like scallions, butter, and milk into a simple potato mash, according to Onmanorama. While champ was originally developed as a way to feed a family with ingredients that were both inexpensive and available year-round, it eventually became one of the most popular sides in Ireland. In fact, the History Channel explains that champ grew to be such an Irish classic that it even became a typical St. Patrick's Day food, along with corned beef and cabbage. In Gordon Ramsay's recipe, he draws heavily from champs' ingredients to ma

6. Ina Garten

   While some chefs like to get complicated in the kitchen, celebrity chef Ina Garten prefers to keep things simple. According to Tasty, the best-selling cookbook author likes to make her mashed potatoes using a few high-quality ingredients. She reportedly begins the process by boiling some russet potatoes in salty water. Afterward, she purées them and adds a few key components: Milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, and butter. While this process might seem easy, there is a catch. In her recipe, Garten specifically calls for the use of "good butter." In other words, your run-of-the-mill fare probably won't do. To follow Garten's recipe as closely as possible, you should head to the grocery store and choose your butter brand carefully. If you have no clue how to achieve this, fear not! Minerva Dairy co-owner, Venae Watts, says that identifying high-quality butter is as e

7. Bobby Flay

   There's nothing quite like a creamy spoonful of mashed potatoes, and, for celebrity chef Bobby Flay, the element of creaminess is key. Using the Food Network Kitchen app, the TV personality hosted a cooking class called "Favorite Mashed Potatoes." During the session, Flay revealed his secret ingredient for mashed potatoes: Crème fraîche. According to the chef, this rich ingredient does a fantastic job of giving mashed potatoes that smooth, creamy texture that so many people love. If you are interested in trying this unique take on mashed potatoes, be sure not to add too much crème fraîche to your mixture. Flay recommends adding just half a cup of crème fraîche for every three pounds of potatoes. Additionally, he warns against using this delicious component too early on. Per the chef, the best moment to add crème fraîche to your potatoes is after they have been

8. Guy Fieri

   Guy Fieri's cooking methods have the potential to spice up your mashed potatoes — literally. Unlike other chefs, whose mashed potatoes are reminiscent of homemade family recipes, Fieri goes for an edgier flavor. The Emmy award-winning TV personality makes mashed potatoes with a super spicy secret ingredient: Wasabi powder. And, apparently, he uses this potent ingredient in the relatively high ratio of four teaspoons per two and a half pounds of potatoes. Some home cooks might wonder if Fieri's mashed potatoes really taste so spicy. After all, wouldn't the cream and butter from the potatoes cut the heat of the wasabi? Fascinatingly, the answer to this question is: Not significantly. The reason is that wasabi has a unique chemistry, which is quite different from the makeup of many other common spicy foods. While hot peppers, like jalapeños, get their spiciness from a

9. Tyler Florence

   While Guy Fieri's mashed potatoes recipe highlights the taste of wasabi, television host Tyler Florence makes a version that focuses more on the potatoes themselves. In an article for Food Network (via Showbiz CheatSheet ), Florence revealed his strong preference for a specific type of potato. "When I'm making mashed potatoes there's only one potato that I use, and that's a Yukon Gold potato," the TV personality explained. Florence went on to say that Yukon Gold potatoes are "the king of all potatoes" due to their smooth consistency and dash of sweetness. Florence clearly loves making mashed potatoes with Yukon Golds, but that doesn't mean he will cook with any Yukon Golds. In fact, the celebrity chef has other criteria for deciding which potatoes make the cut for his recipe. Primarily, he won't make mashed potatoes with tubers of different sizes because they won

10. Jet Tila

    Tyler Florence isn't the only chef who believes that certain types of potatoes render better results. California-based celebrity chef Jet Tilakamonkul, known as Jet Tila, also finds that some potatoes are just better than others when it comes to making mashed potatoes. In fact, as Tila revealed in an article on Rachael, he finds that choosing the right type of potato is a "critical step" for making mashed potatoes that are actually "fluffy." And, like Florence, Tila showed a predilection for the Yukon Gold, although it's not the only tuber that he recommends. "Start with a starchy potato like Yukon gold or russet, not a waxy potato like red skin," Tila wrote. While it might seem odd for Tila to warn against using red potatoes in your mash, there is actually a method to his madness. According to Martha Stewart, potatoes, such as Red Adirondacks, are considered "

11. Luke Mangan

    For Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan, making mashed potatoes is quick and easy. In a conversation with 9Honey Kitchen, the culinary sensation revealed that his favorite recipe is pretty simple. For one thing, his take on mashed potatoes contains a mere six ingredients: Desiree potatoes, salt, olive oil, cream, milk, and butter. For another, Mangan has distilled the entire instructions portion of his recipe into two sentences. "Peel [the potatoes], quarter them, and then flush all the starch through cold water until the water is clear again," Mangan told 9Honey Kitchen. "Then add a pinch of salt, boil it, drain it and add olive oil and a bit of butter." Mangan's quick and easy mashed potatoes recipe is the ideal side for a busy weekday dinner menu. The best part is that you can easily pair it with plenty of other mains. For example, this 55-minute classi