To ask the secret to good mash…

[Millionaireinthemaking]

Seriously! How do you all make your mash?! I have been trying for years now and no matter what I do or how I make it, it is always lumpy and bland! Please give me your useful tips so I can master a good bit of mash 😂🤭

Start with the right potatoes, King Edwards are my favourite.

Don’t overcook the potatoes, if they break down in the saucepan to wet soggy mush, you will have tasteless mash.

Use a ricer, and put the potatoes through it twice.

Use good quality salted butter, I never add milk. As an alternative try using good quality olive oil which gives a different flavour that works well with things like coq au vin or beef daube with tomatoes.

It's the lack of salt that's the problem. I'm making a roast today and we have mash and roast pots and you need to salt everything. My husband cooks very occasionally and insists that you don't need salt bad for you etc and then realises that everything is so bland and gross. Salt and pepper in mash and butter. I don't like milk in it

I think not to make too big an amount .Cook potatoes very well (till falling apart a bit ) Then mash down hard with milk /cream /butter ,and fresh ground black pepper . should be good!(Can cook second batch if needed but I find quit filling TBH!)

Red potatoes are the best for mash. Boil until soft.

Mash potatoes first, then add LOADS of real butter, salt, cream with the masher to remove all lumps and add a splash of milk (or better - double cream!) at the end of its too dry.

Lumpy mash is due to adding milk and cooking too quickly.

Butter, salt and I've been known to use a stick/hand blender before.

Cooling *

Butter
Bit of milk
Seasoning.
Double cream if you're feeling like some luxury.. I freeze it in ice cube bags and just add a cube or two to sauces or curries or mash.

A bit of nutmeg grated up is lovely. As well as the usual milk, butter, salt and pepper.

The secret is to out in more butter! Also a bit of good quality oil and sea salt.

I will let you all know how I get on! Yep I never add salt to anything but nothing ever tastes bland… only the mash potato taste bland! Now I’m wondering if this whole time everything I’ve eaten has been bland! 🤣

Sorry but I'm literally giggling at the idea of not knowing that you need to add salt to potatoes. Like... how? It's like someone saying they didn't know they were meant to wear socks with their shoes or not knowing that they can use a glass for water instead of drinking straight from the tap.

A dessert-spoon of mayonnaise.

@Wroxie I’m only young 😂 is that a good enough excuse

@Millionaireinthemaking

I will let you all know how I get on! Yep I never add salt to anything but nothing ever tastes bland… only the mash potato taste bland! Now I’m wondering if this whole time everything I’ve eaten has been bland! 🤣

Yes it absolutely has been bland as has everything you've cooked... if you like it that way then fine but I hope you don't continue cooking this way for other people. Nothing worse than trying to choke down unseasoned food... do you at least have a salt cellar on the table when you are feeding other people?

@Millionaireinthemaking

I’ve never added salt because I hate it 🤣 but I’m going to try tonight!! I’ve also never added salt to my pasta, veg ect… should I be doing that too?!

😲 Erm, yeeees.

I haven’t RTFT so I’m sorry if this has been said but I made crappy mash for years until someone taught me these two things:

1. Don’t overcook the potatoes or it goes sloppy - I was boiling mine for 20-25 minutes which is far too long. How long you actually need depends on how you’ve cut them but 10-12 minutes is closer to the mark.
2. Start the potatoes in cold water and bring them to the boil instead of dumping them in boiling water. If you dump them straight into boiling water you’re more likely to get the kind of sloppy lumpy mixture because the outside cooks so much faster than the inside.

Add butter, milk, an egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Delicious.

I wouldn’t add salt to veg or pasta personally but would definitely add it to mash!

I've asked DH as he makes the best mash. He says it's salt, butter, full-fat milk, and mash like you're pulverizing the person you hate most in the world (MIL, government, an Ex ....)

Potato ricer and lots more salted butter, cream, and pepper than you would think. Lots more.

For some dishes I add cheddar too.

Salt and garlic cloves, absolutely. No milk for me just butter. Floury potatoes. For a less bland taste use chicken stock instead of water and add bay leaf - retrieve before mashing.

@Millionaireinthemaking

I will let you all know how I get on! Yep I never add salt to anything but nothing ever tastes bland… only the mash potato taste bland! Now I’m wondering if this whole time everything I’ve eaten has been bland! 🤣

Yes it has been bland. Please start seasoning your food properly.

I don't add salt to the mash, but I do boil the potatoes in salted water and add salted butter to the mash. If I'm adding cheese that tends to be salty too.

Get an electric masher and just add butter

Let potatoes steam dry, only add a tiny bit of milk, plenty of salt and too much butter!