I tried Ina Garten's recipe for flavorful mashed potatoes, and I'll always use her secret ingredient from now on

From Yukon Gold vs. russet to ricing vs. mashing, I've tested many ways to make mashed potatoes even more amazing. 

Then I came across Garten's unique spin on the side dish.

I've added garlic or herbs to my potatoes to amp up the flavor before. But the "Barefoot Contessa" star adds a surprising ingredient I haven't thought of before: lemon.

The recipe has just six ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes, unsalted butter, whole milk, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.

As written, it serves four to six people, so I cut all of the measurements in half for my household of two.

I was interested in Garten's choice of potato for this recipe. Some mashed potatoes call for russet, others call for Yukon Gold, and others still include a combination of both.

Russet potatoes have a higher starch content, which makes for lighter, fluffier potatoes. Yukon Golds have a medium starch content, which makes for denser, creamier potatoes with a natural buttery flavor. 

I figured with all of the butter in this recipe, plus the creamy Yukon Gold potatoes, the lemon zest would be pretty handy in balancing the richer flavors.

The cooking directions were straightforward and similar to many other recipes I've made.

I started by peeling and cutting the potatoes into about 1 1/2-inch chunks.

I placed them in a pot and covered them with cold water and salt before bringing everything to a boil. Once boiling, I cooked them for 20 minutes until they were soft enough to pierce easily with a fork.

Garten calls for a food mill to puree the potatoes. But I don't have one, so I used my trusty ricer for that step. 

Just before the potatoes were done cooking, I put 1/2 cup of whole milk in a small pot to simmer on the stove.

By using warm milk instead of cold, the potatoes can absorb the liquid better, which evidently keeps them from becoming too gummy.

While the potatoes were cooking, I cut a full stick of butter into 1/2-inch pieces and kept them in the fridge.

Unlike the milk, the butter was meant to be whisked into the potatoes while it was still very cold and fresh from the fridge.

Had I warmed up the butter like the milk, it might have separated.

After ricing the potatoes, I started whisking in a little bit of butter at a time.

It was impressive to watch how quickly the potatoes became silky and creamy even before I started pouring in the warm milk.

Once the full stick of butter was incorporated, the instructions said to pour in just enough milk to make the potatoes "creamy but still thick." 

Ultimately, I only needed about 1/4 of the milk to reach my desired consistency before stirring in the salt and pepper. 

Once the salt and pepper were thoroughly mixed into the potatoes, I whisked in the zest of one lemon.

Unsurprisingly, the full stick of butter and warm milk turned the potatoes into a silky-smooth, buttery-soft pile of fluff on my plate.

They were ultra-creamy without being soupy, and they were still able to hold their shape and form peaks when I spooned them into a dish.

These potatoes had an amazing texture that was both light and decadent at the same time.

Including salt, fat, acid, and heat in a recipe has become a common adage, so I couldn't believe I'd never thought to add lemon to my mashed potatoes before.

Mashed potatoes always include plenty of salt and fat from the butter or heavy cream, and there's a hint of heat when you add black pepper. 

But the lemon zest adds just enough acidity to cut through all of the rich textures and flavors, adding a nice brightness and freshness to help balance out the heavier ingredients.

I loved the taste and texture of Garten's mashed potatoes. They were somehow rich and creamy and light and vibrant thanks to the balance of flavors.

Although I loved the addition of lemon, I'd cut back slightly and use the zest of about 1/2 to 3/4 of a lemon for a slightly more subtle brightness. I also think some fresh herbs, like chives or parsley, would complement the lemon and make the potatoes even better.

All in all, I'll be keeping a lemon handy anytime I want to make mashed potatoes thanks to Garten's recipe.