Classic Mashed Potatoes are a tried and true staple and they go with almost anything. There are many ways to make mashed potatoes and lots of fun versions featuring everything from roasted garlic to cheese to truffles, but the old faithful traditional version is something that we all need from time to time. Whether I’m whipping up a batch of mash to top a pie with or serving it as a side dish, this is my go-to way of doing it.
Whether you choose to use a hand-held potato masher, a potato ricer or an electric mixer, this recipe will work. How one chooses to mash potatoes seems to be polarising and I’ve been part of many heated debates on this subject, but the reality is that it’s up to you how your smash your mash and all the options are absolutely valid. I personally like to whip my mashed potatoes using an electric hand mixer because it’s the way I learned to do it as a kid, it’s fast and it’s easier to get rid of the lumps doing it this way. I also love the light & fluffy whipped texture.
When it comes to the flavour of the mashed potatoes, it’s important to employ our old friends butter and salt. Plenty of butter gives the mashed potatoes richness and salt lifts it a bit. I like my mashed potatoes quite salty, but not everyone does, so I’m not going to dictate quantities here. You need to salt it to suit your own taste.
As for the milk, it’s important in my opinion to not drown the mash and every time I make mashed potatoes I find I’m using a different amount, so the rule is a little at a time and I do mean little. There’s nothing worse than super wet mash, so take your time and only add a little splash of milk at a time to help to bring the mash together and make it less lumpy. Let’s get started!
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks (or other potato of your choice)
- Sea salt flakes
- 125g unsalted butter, cubed
- Milk
Method
- Put the chunks of potatoes into a pot filled with cold water and add plenty of salt. Bring to a boil and once boiling, cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and soft. (The amount of boiling time required will depend solely on how big the potato chunks are, so if you cut them really small they’ll cook faster, but if they’re very large they might need more time. It’s important to keep checking them as they cook so you don’t cook them into mush.)
- When the potatoes are cooked through, strain them and return them to the pot. Put the pot over medium heat and steam them dry for a few minutes, stirring them pretty regularly so they don’t burn. This helps to dry them out a bit so the mash won’t be too wet.
- When you’ve finished dry steaming the potatoes, turn off the heat and add the butter cubes, pushing them around in the potatoes a bit so they start melting.
- Add some salt and a tiny splash of milk.Now it’s time to start mashing. As you’re mashing, pay attention to the consistency of the potatoes and if you need to smooth it out a bit, add another tiny splash of milk.
- Taste the mash and adjust the salt if necessary. If it’s still lumpy, mash it a bit more and if necessary, add more milk, a tiny splash at a time until you get the consistency you prefer. Serve hot.
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