Mashed potatoes are important and I take them very seriously. The epitome of comfort food, a bowl of whipped potatoes is the easiest way to turn an otherwise "healthy" meal into comfort food.

I’ve mashed a lot of potatoes in a lot of different ways, but I usually use the same two or three tricks when making them for myself and my loved ones. I mash them with mayonnaise or onion dip, and I often microwave the potatoes, especially if I’m making less than two pounds of potatoes.

But there’s another, newer mash that’s threatening to dethrone the mayo mash: a mash recipe that’s ridiculously rich and decadent, but doesn’t rely on loads of dairy. In fact, it’s hardly a recipe at all. It’s more of a maneuver. An addition. A hack, if you will. What I’m trying to say is that you should add an egg yolk to your next batch of mashed potatoes.

Egg yolk puree is basically a more intense version of mayo puree. (This probably sounds bad if you've never tried mayo puree before – go here to educate yourself.) Mayo is an emulsifier. It combines the hydrophilic with the hydrophobic, creating a smoother puree and adding a little bit of sweetness and tang. Mayo puree doesn't taste like mayo (unless you add too much).