adapted from Food & Wine magazine, "Herb-Scented Mashed Potatoes", November 2017
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt, as you would when boiling pasta. Add potato chunks and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
While potatoes are boiling, bring to a simmer the cream, butter, milk, and herb sprigs in a medium saucepan, then turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs.
When the potatoes are cooked, pass them through a ricer into a bowl and fold in the hot cream. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately, refrigerate overnight, or scrape into flame-proof pan (enameled cast iron is a safe bet) and broil the top (see notes).