Creamy Mashed Potatoes with 10-Minute Roux Gravy

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A steakhouse-smooth mash paired with a from-scratch brown roux gravy that comes together in the time it takes the potatoes to drain — no drippings, no pan roast, no gravy packet. Cook the flour and butter until it smells like toasted pecans, whisk in hot broth, and you have the kind of glossy, deeply savoury gravy that usually only shows up next to a Sunday roast. A Cajun variation at the end turns the same pot into a Louisiana-style plate side, spiked with paprika, cayenne and the trinity.

Ingredients

• 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the cooking water
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (optional)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
• 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
• kosher salt, to taste

• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp sliced scallions, for serving

Instructions

1. Put the potato chunks and smashed garlic in a large pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 15 to 18 minutes, until a paring knife slides through a piece with no resistance.
2. While the potatoes cook, warm the milk and cream together in a small saucepan or in the microwave until steaming but not boiling, about 90 seconds. Keep warm. Warm the broth for the gravy the same way — hot liquid into hot roux is the whole trick to a lump-free gravy.
3. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the empty hot pot. Set over low heat and shake the pot for 30 to 60 seconds to steam off surface moisture; the potatoes should look chalky and dry at the edges.
4. Take the pot off the heat. Add the 6 tablespoons butter and mash with a potato masher (or pass through a ricer back into the pot) until mostly smooth. Pour in the warm milk mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until creamy. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the white pepper. Cover and set aside; do not beat with a mixer or the mash turns gluey.
5. Start the gravy: melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan or 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 4 to 6 minutes, until the paste turns the colour of peanut butter and smells nutty and toasted. Adjust the heat down if it darkens faster than that.
6. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the hot broth and whisk hard — it will seize into a thick paste, which is normal. Whisk in the remaining broth in three more additions, getting fully smooth before each one.
7. Add the soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and the thyme sprig. Simmer, whisking often, for 4 to 5 minutes until the gravy coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear track when you draw a finger through it. Discard the thyme sprig, then season with salt to taste. Thin with a splash of broth or water if it thickens past pourable.
8. Serve the mash in a wide bowl, make a shallow well in the centre with the back of a spoon, and ladle the hot gravy into it. Finish with a few grinds of black pepper.
9. For the Cajun variation: after melting the butter in step 5, add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Sprinkle in the flour and cook only 3 minutes (the vegetables add moisture, so the roux will darken more slowly), then add the smoked paprika, dried thyme, oregano and cayenne with the spices in step 7. Finish with sliced scallions and stir 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika into the mashed potatoes too.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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