Substitute for a ricer?!
In case you need to know, the recipe is to make gnocchi :)
Answers: I have a recipe which needs me to put boiled potatoes through a ricer, and i dont have one. is it okay to use a potato masher instead and just be really really thorough to ensure no lumps?
In case you need to know, the recipe is to make gnocchi :)
Eventually sometime down the road, you should invest in a potato ricer. There are excellent models available for under $15. Try to pick a sturdy model that is comfortable to use and can accommodate roughly 1-1 1/2 cups of potatoes at a time.
For now, the best alternatives are limited to a food mill and a masher. If you have a food mill or can get one (they are somewhat expensive at a minimum of $30 on average), you would want to pass the potatoes through the attachment with the finest pores.
Most people tend to have a masher, which will probably have to work for you in this case if you have no ricer or food mill. Unfortunately the texture probably won't be the best but you have to work with the tools you have. You'll probably still have lumps when you use this method.
A drum sieve is excellent and produces wonderful results, but most stores don't stock them. When you do find them, you either invest in cheap ones that wear out or pay exorbitant amounts for one that will last for a long time.
A stand mixer or its smaller counterpart, the hand mixer, can also work as long as you don't work the potatoes too much. Using either of these two mixers will decrease lumps but can often result in potatoes that have a strange texture. A food processor should be avoided as it will result in potatoes that will have a strange gluey texture as well.
If you have a stand mixer with a whip attachment that might do a better job. Otherwise, use a masher to start and finish with your hands. You really really do want to get rid of the lumps for what you're making
Three things: a food mill from any hardware store, a box grater on one of the smaller holed sides, or a food processor with the blade that has the small holes. I don't recommend mashing for gnocchi. Mashing doesn't leave any critical air in the potatoes so the gnocchi aren't as fluffy.
Press the cooked potatoes through a mesh sieve (strainer) ...it works just fine. Making gnocchi is the only reason I'd have to buy a ricer. I only make it once or twice a year.
You really don't want mashed potatoes. Your gnocchi will turn out heavy. They won't taste bad, they just won't be light and tender.
I bought a ricer at Williams Sonoma about a month ago and I love it. It's totally worth it to go and buy one. I used it to make gnocchi and the texture was perfect. I also use them for mashed potatoes because no matter how hard I tried, I always had lumps. It's super easy to use - and saves so much time. I can stick 3 whole potatoes in there, squeeze it, and be done in seconds.
If you definitely don't think you're going to buy one, the second best thing would be a cheese grater. Definitely don't mash the potatoes for gnocchi - they'll be very dense.
Personally I prefer potato that has been crushed by a Potato Masher.
Ricer's make mashed potato to sloppie.
