Charred Scallion & Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes

Or just a fancy way of saying sour cream & onion.

It’s hard to improve upon a good mashed potato, but I’ve given it my best shot here by taking inspiration from the flavor profile of a sour cream and onion potato chip. Ribbons of charred scallion add a sweet onion flavor, and luscious crème fraîche provides that hint of tartness. Beyond that, this is a very basic approach to a mashed potato.

To make decent mashed potatoes you need, 1. To cook the potatoes all the way through without going overboard. 2. To stir them gently so they don’t develop too much starch and become gluey. 3. To be brave enough to add enough fat and dairy. This recipe will help you stay on course, but you can really use it as a loose guide.

If you want a particularly smooth texture, I would advise using a potato ricer or a food mill. I’m not a stickler about this and don’t have the kind of kitchen storage that can easily accommodate single-use tools, so I just use a regular masher. Like most of my recipes, I’ve scaled the yield to be approachable for people cooking for just themselves, their partners or a small group. If you want to make this for Thanksgiving, for example, you should definitely double or even triple it, depending on how large your family is and how fiendish they are for mashed potatoes.