Mashed Potatoes

Clearly, this recipe can be multiplied as necessary for any crowd.

• 1 large russet potato, peeld or not, as you please
• 1 Tbsp. salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 Tbsp. of salt.

Scrub the potato and cut it into chunks. Place the chunks in the pot of boiling water.

Boil for 15–20 minutes, depending on how big your chunks are. You should get no resistance when piercing one with a fork.

Ladle 4 Tbsp. of the cooking water into a small jug and drain the rest, leaving the potatoes in the pot.

Add the butter to the pot, along with 1 Tbsp. of your reserved cooking water, and mash the potatoes. If they seem not quite fluffy enough, add a little more cooking water (and a little more butter if you wish) and mash them again, repeating until you are satisfied. Many like to add cream here, but the cooking water will do the job just fine, and you already added butter.

Taste and add salt and pepper as you deem necessary.