Potato puree

Peel the potatoes thoroughly and dice them into large chunks.

Put them in the largest pot, cover with just enough water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.

Simmer 25 to 30 minutes until fully tender; gentle simmering rather than hard boiling keeps the potato from blowing out and waterlogging. Better overcooked than undercooked, since undercooked potato turns gluey when mashed.

Melt four sticks of butter in one small saucepan and warm the heavy cream in another over low heat.

Drain the potatoes very well, with no water standing in the pot.

Pour over the melted butter and smash with a sturdy wooden spoon; butter first coats the starch molecules and makes the puree taste more buttery.

Stream in the heavy cream and keep smashing and stirring until well combined but lumpy.

Push the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer with a one ounce ladle, three to four large spoonfuls at a time, into a large vessel; allow at least 20 minutes. Keep the lumpy potato as warm as possible, since cold puree turns gluey and is harder to pass.

Transfer the passed puree to a crock pot on low or keep warm as each batch is finished.

Taste, add the salt, stir into every corner and wait a minute before tasting again while the coarse salt melts.

Add another half stick of butter or so and adjust fat, cream or salt to taste.