Everybody has their own mashed potato recipe, but not all of them give such smooth results.
After making mashed potatoes numerous times, there always seem to be lumps left behind.
Promising to achieve “unparalleled” mashed potatoes Michelin-trained chef Poppy O’Toole has shared the steps needed to be taken to cook the “ultimate mash”.
She said: “Welcome to the mash masterclass on how to achieve the perfect mashed potato, which is a bold claim I know, but I genuinely believe I’ve discovered the best method for creating the smoothest, creamiest mash going.
“There will be no excuses for lumpy, bland mashed potato ever again and I’ve shared with you all the tips and tricks I’ve learnt over the years below.
“My favourite thing about this method is that you don’t need expensive high-tech mashers or ricers to get that consistently smooth texture (although feel free to still use these if ya want), you simply need one classic kitchen tool – the humble sieve – to achieve unparalleled mashed potato that is lump-free and velvety smooth.”
I first started by measuring out the ingredients listed below – and it’s not many.
Ingredients
Four Maris Piper potatoes
75g salted butter
50ml milk/cream
Two tablespoons salt
One tablespoon melted butter (optional)
Method
Once the ingredients had been weighed out, I peeled the potatoes and sliced them into 1cm thick rounds. It’s important to slice them into rounds so that they’ll cook more evenly.
Next, I placed the potatoes into a saucepan and covered them with cold water which I added a generous amount of salt to before putting the potatoes on the heat. I made sure to let the potatoes simmer not boil as this will also help them evenly cook.
After 18 minutes the potatoes were ready – I could tell that they are ready by poking a knife into them. If the potato slides straight off, you are good to go.
I then drained the potatoes off and left them to dry in their own steam for around three to five minutes. I placed a tea towel over the top when steam drying.
Once drained, I passed the cooked potatoes through a sieve – or you can use a potato ricer – and added in the butter at this point as this will help coat the starchy particles and keep them fluffy.
Passing the potatoes through the sieve was probably the hardest part of the recipe as it took quite a bit of effort – but it was worth it for the results.
After passing them through the sieve I warmed up the milk and cream in a saucepan for just two minutes. Basically, you want the milk and cream to be around the same temperature as the potatoes.
The last step was just to combine the milk and cream with the mashed potatoes. Make sure to only stir in the milk and cream until just combined as the less stirring the less elasticated the mash will be.
For those who want to add melted butter to their mash, now is the time to do so, but I didn’t.
Going in for a taste, the mashed potatoes were insanely good. I don’t think I’ve ever had mash this smooth and creamy. I served this with creamy garlic and paprika chicken.
