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Food/Recipes

Really Great mash??

34 replies

anonymousbird · 19/09/2011 17:26

Obviously I know how to make mash, but what's your trick for making mash (plain mash, so no onion/mustard type stuff) really super fantastic??

Milk? Butter? Cream? Special utensil or method??

TIA.

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RedBlanket · 19/09/2011 17:35

Get a potato ricer you'll never have lumpy mash again

DH makes the best mash in the world. He used milk & butter. It's the reason I married him!

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Catsmamma · 19/09/2011 17:38

boil potatoes, and don't cut them too small, they can get waterlogged

drain them and tip them back into the hot pan with the lid on to dry out/steam a bit in the heat of the pan

tip them back into the colander and melt some butter and cream in the pan, and then using a potato ricer, squidge them into the melted butter mix, stir well but don't over work, some potatoes go gluey and icky.

and for gods sake use a decent amount of salt in the water! (except for babies!)

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DizzyCow63 · 19/09/2011 17:42

I do exactly what Catsmamma said, never fails! just had it on top of cottage pie and it was yum Grin

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anonymousbird · 19/09/2011 17:42

WOW, a Mash-age made in heaven!

A potato ricer may be the answer in the longer term, possibly needs to go on the birthday/christmas list, I am hoping in the meantime that possibly nice and buttery plus a hand whisk might take me some way there....

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anonymousbird · 19/09/2011 17:44

Does sound like a ricer is the way forward! They look small though, must take several goes to get a family sized pan of mash through it....

Thanks all. Smile

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chocolaterainbow · 19/09/2011 17:45

Ohh, just wondering what to do for tea... mash it is!

I leave the skins on (this is just my prefrence obvs), cut them however much I can be bothered

Put about a teaspoon of garlic powder a pinch of salt, bit of pepper all in the water while they boil.

Drain them when the big bits are done, put 'em back in the pan so the water stems off then than add a teeny-weeny bit of milk and a bit too much butter.

Or leave out the garlic and stir in some sour cream& chive when they're mashed.

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chocolaterainbow · 19/09/2011 17:47

*steams

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RedBlanket · 19/09/2011 17:47

You have to put thd potatoes in the ricer a little bit at at a time so its quite time consuming. Worth it though.

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vroommushroom · 19/09/2011 17:49

i made some earlier with king edwards spuds and it was fab

can't be arsed with a ricer, if it's cooked enough you only need a fork, lots of butter and milk yum

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GetOrfMo1Land · 19/09/2011 17:55

I started a thread about mash from heaven last week - I read a recipe for puree de pommes de terre in a poncey cookbook and made it for dinner last week.

It probably has 19865 calories a spoonful, mind you.

I boiled double cream (250ml) and 50ml of olive oil with 4 unchopped garlic cloves. Let this emulsion get to boiling point and leave warm.

Meanwhile boil the spuds, I chop them up into roast potato size lumps, then I mash with a fork initially and then an old fashioned potato masher (I don't get lumps this way, and I loathe lumps), I mash with increasingly big dollops of butter. Then add a decent amount of maldon salt, and the cream/oil emulsion (remove the garlic) beaten in with a wooden spoon so it gets nice and airy.

It was delicious, like the best mash ever eaten in a restaurant. But the amount of cream oil and butter is rather scary! Worth it though for a treat.

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anonymousbird · 19/09/2011 18:48

Sod the calories, that sound amazing!!

Right, continuing with the mash subject, you mash experts you, is it possible/sensible to make a large batch of mash, keep in the fridge and refresh/bring back to life the next day?

If so, what is the best way? I'm thinking just putting it in the pan to warm through clearly won't work as it will burn, so does it need to be heated through, covered in the oven and then worked with a little more milk/butter to finish it up?

Or is next day mash a complete dead loss? We often have left over, but I never reheat it as "normal" mash, I used it up in patties, bubble and squeak, fish cakes or whatever.. I'd quite like to be able to double cook it so it's done for the DC's tea the next day......

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Goldberry · 19/09/2011 18:50

Plenty of: butter, milk or cream, salt and pepper and nutmeg. I always use an electric whisk for creamy, lump-free mash.

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nancerama · 19/09/2011 18:55

DH added some fresh basil last week when mashing with lots of butter and a bit of milk. Was delicious.

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baabaapinksheep · 19/09/2011 18:56

Apparently for the best mash you should bake the potatoes instead of boiling them, never tried it myself though.

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follyfoot · 19/09/2011 19:03

Can I just add my vote for a ricer please? It makes the mash much fluffier than any other way for some reason. And hot milk with melted butter.

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missorinoco · 19/09/2011 19:07

The tip I have just found that makes great mash is to mash the potatoes, then add the milk/butter/salt/pepper. Also, try to use floury potatoes (Maris Piper are very versatile, as are Rooster potatoes). If you try to mash e.g. those baking potatoes you can pick up in a 4 pack they go quite gluey.

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ButWhyIsTheGinGone · 19/09/2011 19:07

Does nobody else crack an egg yolk into it along with a bit of butter? Delicious!!

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sjuperwolef · 19/09/2011 19:11

my fil puts an egg in mash - he says its the preston way? gave me food poisoning tho Angry

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Al0uiseG · 19/09/2011 19:15

Bake some potatoes, put through the ricer, the skins get left behind. Dollop in some butter. It's not the swank, cheffy style of mash but it's extremely quick and thanks to the ricer, never lumpy.

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Hairytoes · 19/09/2011 19:17

Life is too short to make mash.
Buy it from M &S yum!

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RedBlanket · 19/09/2011 19:24

Never quite tastes the same after its been frozen. I usually microwave it and stir in more milk.

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maighdlin · 19/09/2011 19:28

i like whipping mash but its not to everyone's palette.

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Flisspaps · 19/09/2011 19:37

Milk, butter, salt. No ricers here, DH likes a few lumps, a little reminder that it's not out of a packet :)

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metalelephant · 19/09/2011 21:06

My grandmother's recipe: mash with butter and evaporated milk. Just add while mashing, i do it by eye straight from the can. The mash is creamy and doesn't get diluted like with normal milk. Where is the yummy emoticon when you need it?

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GetOrfMo1Land · 19/09/2011 21:37

I have tried to make mash last for two days, but we always end up having second helpings and eating the lot.

I must try an egg yolk - I bet that makes it go beautifully creamy.

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