Lunch: Earthy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lb large potatoes (any kind)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Special equipment: a potato ricer

Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 °F.
Wrap each potato in foil, then prick potatoes through foil several times with a fork. Bake potatoes until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Heat milk, butter, salt, and white pepper in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until butter is melted.
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.
Force hot potatoes through ricer into hot milk mixture in pan and gently stir with a large heatproof rubber spatula just until combined.