Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Sage Butter

Mashed potatoes, in my opinion, is the ultimate comfort food and it really works well as a side dish when your entree mainly consists of meat. Here are a few interesting factoids that actually helped me as I whipped up my ultimate mashed potatoes dish, courtesy www.about.com: 

I.        Choosing the right potato 
Choosing the right potato to mash will depend on whether you prefer smooth and creamy style or mashed potatoes with a bit of texture. 
Waxy potatoes, such as Red Rose, White Rose, and Yukon Gold varieties, are recommended for boiling applications because they have less starch and higher moisture content. They hold up to boiling and do not absorb as much water. Waxy potatoes tend to result in a more flavorful end product, but it can be difficult to get a really smooth texture without turning them to glue. 
Idaho and russet potatoes have a higher starch content and lower moisture, resulting in a mealier texture when cooked. This means they absorb more moisture and tend to fall apart when boiled. Thus, if you prefer a smoother texture, use mealy potatoes but steam rather than boil. 
II.        To peel or not to peel? 
Regardless of which potato you choose, your next decision is whether or not to peel the potato. 
As you are most likely aware, there are many vitamins and minerals in the skin of the potato. Leaving the skin on adds nutrients to your mashed potatoes. Obviously, this is not an option if your goal is a creamy, smooth mashed potato dish. 
Red potatoes are the best candidates for skin-on mashers because the skin is thin and smooth. Simply scrub the potatoes, core out the eyes, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds (or 1-inch dice), cook, and mash. The red skins not only give lovely color to the mashed potatoes, but they will have your guests clamoring for the secret ingredient. 
III.        Should you mash or rice the potatoes? 
Most experts recommend ricing the cooked mealy potato through a food mill to achieve smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. A food mill is a hand-crank machine that forces the food through small holes in a sieve. If you don't have a food mill, you can make do with a colander, using the back of a large spoon or a smaller bowl with even pressure to push the potatoes through. It is more labor-intensive, but it will work. 
Waxy potatoes will still retain more texture, even when processed through the food mill. Most prefer to simply mash or smash waxy potatoes and enjoy the lumps of potato flavor. In either case, be sure the cooked potatoes have been completely drained of water. 
IV.        Avoiding gummy mashed potatoes 
There's a reason why some mashed potatoes turn out gummy, gloppy, and glutenous, and it all has to do with science. 
The culprit is most likely your electric mixer or food processor. Over-beating breaks down the cells and releases their starch, resulting in paste. Ricing or mashing by hand poses less of a threat than metal blades whirling at thousands of revolutions per minute. However, if you still feel the need for that mixer, the Idaho Potato Commission has an alternative, albeit much more time-consuming and precise method. 
Parboil Idaho potatoes for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. (well below the simmering point). Remove from heat and cool down completely by lowering the pot into a sink of cold water. Just before you're ready to mash them, bring back to the boil and cook until fork tender. Drain well and proceed with mashing or whipping. This semi-cooking process allows the gelatinized starch to be contained within the cells and firm up during the cooling cycle. The starch will not be released again even if you beat them to death.

Serves 4

Ingredients 
  
1 1/4 Lb - Potato (Red Rose, White Rose, and Yukon Gold) 
1/2 Cup - Half and Half or Whole Milk 
2 oz - Goat Cheese 
3 cloves – Garlic, finely grated 
10 - Sage leaves 
3 Tbsp - Butter 
Pepper 
Salt 
Chives (for Granish) 
  
Directions 
  
How to cook the potatoes? 

Method 1 

•  Wash the potatoes, peel them or leave them with the peels on. The peels contain additional vitamins and fiber, but leaving them on will give you a less creamy mash.
• Cut the potatoes in half if they are small, and in quarters if they are large. Don't cut them down any further than that
• Have a large saucepan or pot ready, with some water in it, and put the potatoes in the water as soon as they are cut, to prevent browning. Add more water to completely submerge the potatoes.
• Put the pot on the burner on high-heat, without the lid on. Once it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes. Get an empty colander ready in the sink.
• Drain the potatoes in the colander
• Run the potatoes through a food mill. If you don't have a food mill, you can make do with a colander, using the back of a large spoon or a smaller bowl with even pressure to push the potatoes through. It is more labor-intensive, but it will work.   

Method 2 (Using pressure cooker) 

• Wash the potatoes.
• Take a pressure cooker and add the potatoes leaving the peels on. Add water to completely submerge the potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half if they are large, or leave them whole if they are small. I sometime make a few incisions with a knife on the potatoes to help them cook faster.
• Cook the potatoes on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep the pressure cooker aside until the steam has subsided.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander and peel the skin based on your preference.
• Run the potatoes through a food mill. If you don't have a food mill, you can make do with a colander, using the back of a large spoon or a smaller bowl with even pressure to push the potatoes through. It is more labor-intensive, but it will work. 

1. In a non-stick sauce pan heat the butter and add the sage leaves. 
2. Saute the sage for 2 minutes 
3. Add the finely grated garlic and milk, or half-and-half 
4. Bring it to a boil and add grated goat cheese and whisk until everything blends into a smooth concoction. Fish out the sage leaves in case you don’t want to bite into it. 
5. Add the boiled potatoes to this and season with salt and pepper 
6. Garnish with chopped chives