Ingredients
- 6 medium sized potatoes or 1 kilo of potatoes
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
Method
1. Wash peel and cut potatoes into evenly sized pieces – quartering is fine and avoid small pieces as this detracts from the flavour. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover with lid and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender but not falling apart. Test by piercing with a fork or skewer for tenderness.
2. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the saucepan on a low heat allowing any water remaining to evaporate. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the potatoes.
3. Add butter and warm milk to the potatoes then beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with a dollop of extra butter.
Variations and Tips
- Using an electric mixer whips air into the potatoes giving them more volume and fluffy appearance.
- For thicker mash use less milk, for thinner mash use more milk.
- For creamier mash add ½ cup of thickened cream and use less milk.
- Experiment by adding different fresh herbs e.g. parsley, thyme, basil, garlic
- For healthier mash potatoes use olive oil in place of butter, which will reduce the fat content and omit the salt. Use skim low or reduced fat milk.
- Steaming potatoes rather than boiling preserves the nutrients and flavour in the potatoes.
Potato type and effect on Mash
- All potatoes will Mash and provide a healthy accompaniment to a meal.
- Low starch varieties such as Carrera (Dry matter 14.4%) may be better for mashed potatoes because they absorb less water and hold up better when cooking, thus maintaining more flavour with less “starchy” taste.
- Higher starch potatoes such as Mozart (Dry matter 16.6%) the fuller the actual cells of the potato resulting in fluffier texture and creamier taste than other potatoes.
