Earthy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 lb potatoes (any kind)
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup butter unsalted
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper white
• 1 cup milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• baking pan
• aluminum foil
• microwave
• kitchen towels
• spatula
• tongs
• potato ricer

Directions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Wrap each potato in foil, then prick potatoes through foil several times with a fork.
3. Bake potatoes until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
4. Heat milk, butter, salt, and white pepper in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until butter is melted.
5. While milk mixture heats, unwrap baked potatoes and, while still hot (use a kitchen towel to protect your hands or hold potatoes with tongs), pull off skin with a paring knife or halve unpeeled potatoes and scoop out flesh with a spoon, transferring it to a bowl. Discard skin.
6. Force hot potatoes through ricer into hot milk mixture in pan and gently stir with a large heatproof rubber spatula just until combined.
7. Mashed potatoes are best served immediately but can be made 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, in a heavy saucepan over low heat with 1/4 cup additional milk, stirring after potatoes are warm, until heated through; or in a baking dish, covered, in a moderate oven; or in a microwave, stirring halfway through heating, about 2 minutes total.