Really Great mash??

[anonymousbird]

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.

[ExpectoPatronum]

sjuperwolef, I am from Preston and I have never heard of egg in mash as a local delicacy

My grandmother always used to say that the milk had to be warmed or it made your mash go lumpy. Have never done a controlled experiment on this, but have always had smooth mash.

[goodasgold]

GetorfMo1Land We had it tonight with Gordon Ramsay's recipe for beef bourginon. It was so very yummy.

I used 700g potatoes, 100g butter, 100ml cream, 2 garlic cloves, and 20ml olive oil.

For two and we polished it off.

[reckoner]

Ground nutmeg

[goodasgold]

I am going to make some next week, my mouth is watering a little bit.

Thank you so much for the quick reply, it is very helpful.

I will post back on this thread after I have made some.

[RockStockAndTwoOpenBottles]

GetOrf, that sounds amazing

My mash, FWIW is: (for me four)

5-6 fist sized potatoes
4 fat cloves garlic
2oz salted butter
3 floz double cream

Peel the potatoes and quarter them. Peel but leave whole the garlic. Cook the potatoes and garlic in salted water until the potatoes are soft.

Drain well and return to pan, cover with a tea towel and leave to steam for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the butter and cream and, using an electric whisk (slowly at first....) whisk the lot until smooth.

Never will you have lumpy mash again.

This freezes well (when it has the chance) and just needs to be defrosted at room temp and then warmed through with a touch more cream and butter, stirring all the while.

[GetOrfMo1Land]

I know it was a 250ml pot of cream and 50ml of olive oil (non extra virgin)goodasgold and 4 garlic cloves (peeled but not chopped)

It's singl e cream btw not double.

Butter - god knows how much I used, several great big spoons of it.

Potatoes - nearly a whole bag. Oh that isn't very helpful is it? I think it was about 6 or 7 medium sized ones, peeled. I used desiree potatoes as it said on the bag in sainbos that they are good for mash.

And a hefty pinch of maldon salt (no pepper though).

Oh dear could I be any more vague? I hope you like it - it is marvellous.

[goodasgold]

GetOrfMo1Land,

That recipe sounds lovely, I want to try it!

Can you remember of estimate the quantities of potatoes and butter please?

I know someboday who will love it.

[BlueChampagne]

sjuperwolef I sometimes put mayo in which you might find safer next time!

[wicketkeeper]

Discovered by accident, because I was cooking for a vegan so couldn't use milk or butter - use soya milk. Phenomenal.

[GetOrfMo1Land]

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.

[metalelephant]

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?

[Flisspaps]

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

[maighdlin]

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

[RedBlanket]

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

[Hairytoes]

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

[Al0uiseG]

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.

[sjuperwolef]

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

[ButWhyIsTheGinGone]

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

[missorinoco]

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.

[follyfoot]

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.

[baabaapinksheep]

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

[nancerama]

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

[Goldberry]

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

[anonymousbird]

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......

[GetOrfMo1Land]

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.