Add Eggs To Your Mashed Potatoes For The Creamiest Result

No matter what variety they're made of, mashed potatoes are supposed to be one thing — creamy. To make "perfect" mashed potatoes, some home cooks add heavy cream and copious amounts of butter. Some even find that adding a bit of cornstarch to their potatoes helps to keep them creamy and smooth without getting a soupy consistency. Other people, however, may find that cracking an egg into the pot can help yield a much creamier result.

At first glance, this may seem pretty strange. You probably don't associate eggs with mashed potatoes. True, an egg probably conjures up images of a raw yolk sitting on top of a pile of mashed potatoes or the idea that, once you bite into your potatoes, you'll get an overwhelming taste of egg. If anything, wouldn't adding an egg to your potatoes just scramble them while you stir? Fortunately, you needn't worry about biting into a scrambled surprise.

You'll also be relieved to know that adding an egg to your mashed potatoes won't change the flavor. Instead, when done correctly, cracking an egg into your bowl of potatoes will not only give them a creamier texture but also a bit more "body." 

Let's say you're baking a cake and add only one egg when you should add two. When you take a bite of the finished cake, you'll probably find that it feels somewhat dense and dry, the cake collapsing into dried, pebbly crumbs when you put your fork into it. Eggs act as a natural emulsifier, giving the dish "body"(moisture, thickness, texture, and structure). The principle of eggs as an emulsifier also applies to your mashed potatoes.

To make "egg yolk" mashed potatoes, prepare your potatoes as usual. Combine one egg yolk with two tablespoons of heavy cream, milk, or half-and-half. Add this egg yolk-dairy mixture to your potatoes, and then mash them as you normally do. You'll notice that thanks to the egg yolk, your potatoes will have a much brighter gold or yellow color rather than their standard white. This is merely cosmetic and won't affect the flavor of your potatoes. However, it's important to note that you must continually stir and mash your potatoes very quickly. Letting the potatoes sit will cause the egg yolk to cook on its own.

While it may take some practice to get the egg to completely combine with your potatoes, the result should be potatoes that have a richer, creamier texture without compromising flavor.

Even after reading this article, you may not be swayed to add eggs to your mashed potatoes. That's understandable. Not everyone may agree with the idea of putting a raw egg yolk into your pot of potato chunks and butter. But what if you could add something that's not only an emulsifier but also contain eggs and won't give your potatoes a scrambled egg flavor? We're talking, of course, about mayonnaise.

With eggs as the chief ingredient, mayonnaise gives your potatoes that same creamy, smooth texture as raw egg yolks but with a subtle, tangier flavor — without changing the color too much. Adding mayonnaise to your mashed potatoes is very similar to the process of adding eggs. Prepare your potatoes until you're ready to add the butter. Then, add the butter and a spoonful or two of the mayonnaise of your choice before mashing. 

Remember that adding mayonnaise can make the potatoes thicker, so depending on how thick you like your mashed potatoes, you should add only a tablespoon or two at a time until you find a consistency you're comfortable with.  

Whether you use eggs or mayonnaise, you can take comfort in serving up a bowl of the creamiest mashed potatoes you can make.