How to make the perfect mashed potatoes. Correct technology for preparing mashed potatoes

What could be simpler than mashed potatoes? But for one housewife it’s delicious, and for another it’s even tastier. And the third...
Meanwhile, there are several secrets that turn simple mashed potatoes into a delicious dish.

Preparing mashed potatoes

1 secret of mashed potatoes

To prepare delicious mashed potatoes, it is better to use older potatoes. But not old either. And under no circumstances should the potatoes be sprouted (such potatoes develop an aftertaste that is undesirable in mashed potatoes).

The tubers should be elastic with a dense and even skin. And from starchy varieties. If the potatoes remain firm after cooking and do not crumble, then this variety is best used for frying. It is not suitable for purees.

2 secret of mashed potatoes

Cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes is not at all difficult. The potatoes must first be peeled and cut into equal (as far as possible) pieces of medium size. You can cut the potatoes into small pieces - this way they will cook faster, but will lose a large amount of starch, and this will worsen the taste of the puree.

Cut potatoes should be placed in boiling and lightly salted water.

Potatoes must be cooked completely. And not overcooked. A golden mean is needed here.

After the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and dry the potatoes on a hot stove or low heat.

3 secret of mashed potatoes

Some housewives (or owners) use a food processor, mixer or blender to prepare mashed potatoes. But it is better to do this with a wooden masher and a special masher with holes. Try it and see that the “handmade” puree is simply radically different in both taste and appearance.
Yes, there should be no lumps in a good puree.

4 secret of mashed potatoes

Quite often it is recommended to use only hot milk when preparing purees. This is done to prevent the puree from turning gray. This statement, to put it mildly, is not true. The color of the puree will depend on the type of potato and the temperature of the milk has little effect on the color of the finished puree.

But if you pour the puree with cold milk, the overall temperature of the entire dish will decrease. Do you like cold mashed potatoes? It is not advisable to reheat this dish.

Because the milk just has to be hot. You will also definitely need butter. The butter must be real butter. And it should be at least 80-100 g per 500 g of potatoes. If you want real puree, don’t skimp on the butter. It is the butter that gives the puree a soft, delicate taste.

The butter needs to be melted in hot milk and this mixture added to the potatoes in small portions, whisking constantly - for this you need a masher with holes. Then the puree will be light and airy. The potatoes should not be crushed, but rather beaten. Make potato cream.

And at this stage the puree needs to be salted.

5 secret of mashed potatoes

Wrap the pan with ready-made mashed potatoes in a towel and leave for 15-20 minutes - this way the mashed potatoes will form the ideal consistency. And don’t be afraid - potatoes keep warm for a long time and you won’t have to reheat them.

Yes, it is better not to store or reheat mashed potatoes. And if it so happens that you were unable to eat everything in one sitting, use mashed potatoes to fill pies or to prepare a casserole.

Mashed Potato Recipes

All recipes for making mashed potatoes involve preparing mashed potatoes (as described above. Or almost so). And only then - we add zest.

Replace milk with chicken bouillon. We don’t give up butter. Beat well;

Season the finished puree with a mixture: finely chopped garlic, crushed herbs, dill seeds and melted butter

Beat 2-3 egg yolks with homemade sour cream and season the mashed potatoes with this mixture. But, you must be sure of the quality of the eggs;

Prepare small greaves, add to the puree and beat well;

Grate hard cheese on a fine grater, add to hot puree and beat. There should be approximately a quarter of the puree volume of cheese;

Calcinate walnuts (a handful), grind them well and season them with puree, beat;

Grate the nutmeg and season the mashed potatoes with fresh nutmeg;

For 500 g of potatoes - 1 bell pepper, 50-80 g of dry paprika and 5 sprigs of thyme. Finely chop and grind the pepper, hang with dry paprika and finely chopped thyme. Add this mixture to the puree and beat;

For 500 g of potatoes - 200 g of tomatoes, 100 g of hard cheese, 50 g of chopped pine nuts. Chop the tomatoes and simmer in vegetable oil, mix with grated cheese and pine nuts. “Decorate” the finished mashed potatoes with this mixture;

For 500 g of potatoes - 400 g of carrots, 100 g of orange juice, 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds or sesame paste, a little cumin. Boil potatoes and carrots and make puree from them. Simmer sesame seeds (or sesame paste) in a frying pan with the addition of orange juice and milk - add to the puree and beat well, garnish with cumin;

Many experienced housewives will feel that this article is not for them. What could be so difficult about making mashed potatoes? Grated potatoes with milk or butter. It seems that everything is so simple and easy. However, it is not.

Even such a simple dish as mashed potatoes has its own secrets in preparation. It is imperative to follow all the cooking technology so that the end result is a fluffy and tender puree. So, how and with what can you prepare this dish.

Let's look at the recipes for preparing this treat.

How to properly mash potatoes with milk

How to cook:

Peel the skin from the potatoes and remove all eyes and spots. Then it needs to be cut into medium slices;

Place the potatoes in a metal container, add water, add salt and cook until tender. You can check readiness with a fork or the tip of a knife. The tip should fit freely into the potato;

The milk is slightly warmed;

After this, we begin to mash the potatoes with a potato masher and gradually pour in warm milk;

Then add butter to the puree and mix.

Cooking mashed potatoes with onions

1 kilogram of potatoes;
2 onions;
Butter – 50 grams;
Salt - 1/5 teaspoon;
One and a half glasses of milk;
Vegetable oil.

Preparation:

Peel the skin from the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Place in cold water to prevent it from darkening;
Next, put it in a metal container, add water, add salt and cook until tender;
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the onions. To do this, the bulbs should be peeled and chopped into strips;
Next, the onion should be fried in vegetable oil for 5-10 minutes;
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain the water;
While it is hot, you need to mash it with a masher or pass it through a special press with a fine mesh;
Then add butter to the puree and mix;
The milk should be heated;
Pour hot milk into the puree and mix. You can use cream instead of milk;
You can put the onion directly into the puree and stir. It can also be served separately when serving the puree, so that everyone can adjust the amount in the puree.

Delicious French mashed potatoes

Components you will need:

1 kilogram of potatoes;
Sour cream or cream – 200 ml;
Butter – 50 grams;
2 grams of nutmeg;
Salt and ground black pepper.

Preparation:

The tubers should be thoroughly washed and dried;
Next, make envelopes from baking paper. To do this, cut two sheets and fold them in half;
Then put 5 potatoes in one half and cover with the other half. We wrap all the edges tightly;
Fold the rest of the potatoes in the same way;
After this, place the envelopes on a baking sheet;
The oven heats up to 220 degrees. Place a baking sheet with envelopes there and leave to bake for an hour;
Take out the finished potatoes, cool and peel them;
Next, put it in a deep bowl and mash it with a masher until you get a puree;
Then melt a little butter in a glass bowl, add salt, pepper and nutmeg to it. Mix the whole mixture thoroughly;
Pour the mixture over the puree and mix;
Place the entire resulting mass on a baking sheet, pour in sour cream or cream and place in the oven;
The puree is baked for about 15 minutes.

Tender mashed potatoes without milk with broccoli in a slow cooker

Components you will need:

A kilogram of potatoes;
300 ml boiled water;
Broccoli – 2 pieces;
Butter – 60 grams;
Chicken egg – 1 piece;
Hard cheese – 70 grams;
Parsley – 1 bunch;
2 cloves of garlic;
Ground black pepper - a pinch;
Salt;
2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
Coriander, saffron - to taste.

Preparation:

The tubers are peeled, washed and placed in cold water so that they do not turn black;
Broccoli is washed and cut into medium pieces;
Then the garlic cloves need to be peeled and rubbed with a fine grater or squeezed through a press;
Mix garlic with vegetable oil. We also add ground pepper, coriander and saffron;
A piece of cheese is rubbed with a grater;
Next, put the water on gas and add the butter. Heat and cook until the butter is completely dissolved;
After this, place the peeled tubers in the multicooker cup; for convenience, they can be cut into two parts. We also put broccoli there;
Fill with water so that it covers the top of the vegetables and add some salt. Turn on the stew mode and cook for 30 minutes;
After this, drain some water and add a mixture of oil, garlic and spices;
Then add the cheese and add water and butter;
Simmer for another 10 minutes;
After this, all ingredients should be crushed to an airy puree;
A bunch of greens should be finely chopped and sprinkled with puree.

Recipe for colored mashed potatoes for children

Ingredients you will need:

200 grams of beets with a rich burgundy color;
Potatoes – 1 kg;
250 ml milk;
A little vanilla;
Butter - 50 grams;
A pinch of chili;
Salt.

Preparation:

Potato tubers and beets should be thoroughly washed with water. Next, the vegetables are peeled;
Cut the peeled potatoes into quarters and place them in a metal container. Fill with water, add some salt and boil for half an hour;
The beets should be cut into medium pieces, placed in a container, pour water, add salt and cook until tender for an hour;
Next, place the prepared vegetables in a deep cup and mash with a masher;
Put the milk on the fire, add butter, vanillin and chili. Heat to a boil and cook until the oil is completely dissolved;
Then pour the milk mixture with spices into the puree and mash again with a masher. The mass should be airy, tender and without lumps;
The finished puree can be salted if necessary.

Puree recipes

Well, we’ve learned how to make this dish correctly, but what can you make from mashed potatoes, what dish? Let's look at the options.

Mashed potato casserole with minced meat

Products for casserole:

600 grams of potatoes;
300 grams of minced meat;
One onion;
Chicken eggs – 2 pieces;
Sour cream or cream – 100 ml;
Ground coriander – ½ teaspoon;
Vegetable oil;
Salt and ground black pepper.

Preparation:

The tubers should be peeled and boiled in water with salt until tender;
Peeled onion is chopped into small pieces;
Place a frying pan on the fire, pour in vegetable oil and heat it up. Place minced meat and onion pieces in hot oil. Fry everything until cooked, you also need to add a pinch of coriander;
Boiled potatoes can be placed in a blender cup, add sour cream and beat the airy puree;
Then break the eggs and separate the whites and yolks;
In a separate bowl, beat the whites until foamy;
Place the potato mixture in a deep bowl, add egg yolks and beat;
After this, pour the protein mixture into the mixture. The mixture must be mixed carefully so that it does not lose its shape;
Next, grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil and place a layer of potato mixture on it;
Then place the minced meat and onions in a layer on top of the puree;
Finally, cover the top with the potato mixture;
Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 220 degrees and bake for half an hour.

Potato cutlets

The following components will be required:

Potatoes – 1 kg;
100 grams of flour;
One egg;
A pinch of curry;
Vegetable oil;
Some breadcrumbs;
Salt.

Preparation:

Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water until tender;
Mash it with a masher or in a blender until smooth;
Next, add flour, curry and chicken egg. Mix well;
Make small cutlets from mashed potatoes and roll them in breadcrumbs;
Fry the cutlets in vegetable oil on both sides for 4-5 minutes;
Ready-made cutlets can be decorated with herbs and served with any side dish.

Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes, but no more. Otherwise, it will soften greatly and fall apart into separate parts;
After boiling, the tubers must be dried. To do this, you can drain all the water from the pan and put it on low heat for a couple of minutes;
It is best to mash with a masher; with its help you can prepare an airy and tender potato mixture;
Instead of milk, you can put cream with kefir;
Don't skimp on butter. The more it is, the tastier the puree will be.

Potatoes are a tasty vegetable, if, of course, they are prepared correctly. It turns out especially tasty in the form of puree. It can be eaten either alone or with vegetable and meat side dishes.

In addition, puree can be used as a base in the preparation of many dishes. The main thing in this matter is good imagination and ingenuity.

Mashed potatoes are the most popular and beloved side dish in our country. It is difficult to say what dish housewives prepare as often as mashed potatoes. It is truly universal: tasty, flexible, and allows you to experiment with design. Mashed potatoes go wonderfully with any meat, vegetables, fish, and leave you feeling full for a long time. Perhaps in Russia, this dish is confidently ahead of even pasta in popularity, not to mention cereals and vegetables.

But for the puree to truly bring pleasure - and not only in taste, but also in appearance - it must be prepared correctly. You don't need any special talent for this. According to the classical canons (or rather, technical and technological maps developed in the blessed Soviet years), this dish is prepared from boiled potatoes, butter, milk and salt. All. No secret ingredients, no fancy electrical gadgets. Armed with a simple wooden pestle, you can make the perfect mashed potatoes.

Cook the right potatoes the right way

For the perfect mashed potatoes, you want to buy the best, young, freshly harvested potatoes. But this is exactly what you shouldn’t do. Young potatoes have their own charm: they are crumbly, tasty, but completely unsuitable for mashed potatoes. It is better to boil it in its jacket, and use potatoes from the previous harvest for mashing. Of course, this does not mean that the tubers should be green and sprouted.

Elastic tubers with smooth, dense skin are peeled, thoroughly washed with water and boiled until tender, dipped in hot water. Salt should be added as soon as the water boils. There is no need to cut the potatoes very finely: this way, of course, they will cook faster, but will lose a lot of starch. As soon as the potatoes are ready, they need to be drained and slightly dried over the fire.

Everything must be hot

Preparing the puree itself is as easy as shelling pears: dried potatoes are kneaded, and during this process butter and milk are added to it in several steps. The main problem that most cooks have when making mashed potatoes is color and consistency. Let’s ignore the cases where, in order to save money, they use water instead of butter - here you can’t count on excellent results. But even if you use the right ingredients, your mashed potatoes can end up being too chewy and disgustingly grey. And the secret is that mashed potatoes must be made exclusively from hot potatoes, the temperature of which is not lower than 80 ° C. Butter and milk added to potatoes must also be hot. This mixture of hot ingredients will give you smooth, creamy white mashed potatoes.

Options are possible

Any self-respecting chef will try to improve classic mashed potatoes depending on the moment. Sometimes it turns out so beautifully if you add curly parsley, finely chopped dill or carrot puree to regular puree. For children, you can create whole pictures of purees, vegetables and herbs on a plate. Sophisticated gourmets complement the taste of mashed potatoes with ground pepper, garlic, cheese and even nuts. But most importantly, never reheat cooled mashed potatoes. Its shelf life is only two hours. After this, the puree can be used to make potato pie, zraz, casseroles, fillings, but it will no longer become a side dish.

Potatoes are a universal product that is known all over the world. It is fried, boiled, baked, deep-fried, and stuffed into pies. Mashed potatoes are a filling, tasty and healthy side dish. It is not at all difficult to make, and therefore in many families where housewives are too lazy to prepare a variety of foods, mashed potatoes are eaten almost every day. If you love this dish, then know that its taste can be diversified with additional products, changing it almost beyond recognition.

Mashed potatoes - preparing food and utensils

In order to prepare mashed potatoes, even unusual ones, the preparation of the main product is standard. The potatoes need to be washed under running water, peeled off with a knife, cut into 2-3 pieces and put on the stove to boil, filling the pan with water.

Boil potatoes for about 15-20 minutes depending on the variety. To find out if it is ready, pierce it with a toothpick - the stick should go in softly. Do not overcook the potatoes, otherwise the mashed potatoes will not be uniform, but will have lumps.

Important advice: use clean drinking water for boiling potatoes. Then you will dilute the puree with the liquid in which the potatoes were boiled, making it thinner.

How to turn boiled potatoes into mashed potatoes? It is best to use a wooden pestle or masher - this item made of natural material will not transfer any foreign tastes or odors to the hot potatoes. You can also grind slightly cooled potatoes using a blender or mixer.

Mashed Potato Recipes:

Recipe 1: Mashed Potatoes

The presented recipe is the simplest and most common, without any frills. This mashed potato would be delicious served with meat products, topped with gravy or adding a little butter. You can season these potatoes with ground pepper, dried basil or chopped herbs.

Required ingredients:

Potatoes 4-5 medium sized roots
Water for potatoes
Seasonings
Butter

Cooking method:

Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes into a saucepan with water and boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt the water. You need to cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes over low heat with the lid closed.
When the potatoes are soft, drain some of the cooking water into a cup and discard the rest. Start mashing the potatoes with a potato masher, turning them into puree. Add liquid little by little, making the puree thinner.
When you see that the mashed potatoes have acquired the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and spices to it and mix.

Recipe 2: Paprika Mashed Potatoes

A small amount of bell pepper in the recipe will change the taste of mashed potatoes and also give the dish a pleasant pinkish tint. Thyme and basil are excellent spices.

Required ingredients:

Medium size potatoes 4-5 pieces
Bell pepper 1 piece
Water for puree
Butter
Ketchup with bell pepper 100 ml
Thyme

Cooking method:

Peeled and cut potatoes should be filled with water and boiled on the stove. Once the water has boiled, salt the potatoes.
Wash the bell pepper, remove the center and cut into pieces. Add it to the pan with the potatoes ten minutes after the water boils.
After 8-10 minutes, remove the potatoes and peppers from the stove, pour some of the liquid into a cup, and pour the rest. Mash the potatoes with a masher until they are pureed. Add liquid and ketchup little by little, making the puree thinner. If you use spicy ketchup, the puree will acquire a piquant taste.
When you see that the paprika mashed potatoes have reached the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and thyme leaves to it, stir.

Recipe 3: Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Tomatoes

Such a dish will resemble the usual potatoes very vaguely, only the delicate taste and texture will be preserved. This puree is prepared in Italian restaurants and is most often served with fish.

Required ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
2 medium sized tomatoes
Pasty cream cheese 100 grams
Garlic 2 cloves
White sesame 1 tablespoon
Sunflower oil
Butter
Seasonings

Cooking method:

Peeled and cut potatoes should be filled with water and boiled on the stove. After the water has boiled, add salt to the potatoes and cook until soft.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the tomatoes. Wash and cut them into cubes as small as possible. Peel the garlic and cut it into pieces. Heat a frying pan, grease with oil and add garlic first, then tomatoes. Fry the vegetables for about 5 minutes. At the last minute, sprinkle the mixture with sesame seeds.
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, start mashing them, adding just a little liquid, cream cheese, and butter.
Add vegetables from the frying pan to the finished puree, mix gently with a spoon and serve.

Recipe 4: Abkhazian mashed potatoes

Don’t be alarmed when you see orange juice in the recipe - it will not spoil the taste of the potatoes, but, on the contrary, will emphasize the overall softness and spiciness of the dish. Serve this mashed potato with fried meat, especially pork or lamb. The turmeric in the recipe will give the puree an unusual orange color, but you can omit it.

Required ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
Carrot 1 piece
Water for puree
Milk 100 ml
Seasonings
Turmeric 1 teaspoon
Orange juice 50 ml

Cooking method:

Wash the carrots and cut into cubes. Add it to the pan 10 minutes after the water and potatoes have boiled.
Remove the finished potatoes from the stove, drain the liquid and use a potato masher to puree. Gradually add juice and milk to the puree. The milk should not be cold, but at room temperature. Add turmeric and butter, mix well and serve.

Recipe 5: French Mashed Potatoes

French mustard with grains will change the taste of the puree, and the sour cream in the recipe will make the dish very juicy and satisfying. Instead of sour cream, you can also add heavy cream, warmed to room temperature.

Required ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
Water for puree
Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons
Sour cream 100 ml (or heavy cream)
Pine nut
Butter
Seasonings

Cooking method:

Fill the peeled and cut potatoes with water and boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt the water. Boil the potatoes until soft.
While the potatoes are cooking, roast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for 4-5 minutes and then chop them.
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the stove, drain the liquid and mash them using a potato masher. Gradually add sour cream, pine nuts and Dijon mustard, constantly stirring the puree.

Recipe 6: Mashed Potatoes with Broccoli and Herbs

A dish with aromatic greens and broccoli will transport you to a spring meadow at any time of the year.

Required ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
Water for puree
Broccoli 200 grams
Fresh dill
White sesame
Butter
Seasonings

Cooking method:

Fill the peeled and cut potatoes with water and boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt the water. Boil the potatoes until soft.
In a separate saucepan, boil the broccoli - about 5 minutes in boiling water.
Cool the broccoli and puree it in a blender along with the dill, butter and parsley.
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the stove, pour some of the liquid into a cup and mash them using a potato masher. Gradually add liquid from the cup, broccoli puree, sesame seeds. To make this puree more piquant, add a teaspoon of wassabi to it.

One of the secrets to delicious purees is careful cleaning. We are talking not only about removing the skin, but also cutting out all the “eyes”, green and unripe places. If such black and dense pieces get into the puree, it will spoil the impression of a delicious dish.
When cutting potatoes into pieces before you start cooking them, do not try to chop them too much. It is believed that finely chopped potatoes lose more of their vitamins. Cut the tuber into three or four parts - this is the correct number of pieces.
Don't overcook the potatoes, but don't leave them undercooked either, otherwise the mashed potatoes will be uneven even if you crush them thoroughly.
To make the finished mashed potatoes fluffier, beat them twice. The first time is standard, using a masher or pestle. And when the puree has cooled a little, beat it with a mixer for 2-3 minutes.
When you mash cooked potatoes, you can use meat stock or milk instead of the potato cooking liquid. The milk must be heated or at least at room temperature.
Mashed potatoes will turn out more satisfying and nutritious if you add egg yolk or light cream to it.
What spices can be added to puree? In addition to the usual salt and pepper, use thyme, basil, saffron, fried onions, and chopped herbs.

Everyone knows the story of how Peter I sent potatoes to Russia from Holland, but they were not accepted in our country right away. Now we can say that it has taken root, and we can hardly imagine our diet without potatoes.

What else do we know about potatoes?

About history

Potatoes are more than 4 thousand years old; they were discovered by the Indians of South America, who revered the fruits of the plant as a first-rate delicacy. Much later, the tubers took their place of honor on the table.

About the name

The German version says that it comes from two words "kraft" and "teufel", which means "fruit of the devil's power."

About color

In addition to the usual white and yellow potatoes, there are also red, purple and even black.

The unusual color is primarily due to the high content of beneficial microelements. For example, red-purple varieties are rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant substance that protects against aging; Yellow contains a lot of carotene, which improves vision; black potatoes are simply a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.

True, its appearance is so unusual that it is not particularly popular. At least in our latitudes.

About varieties

Despite the fact that there are more than 50 thousand of them, new ones are constantly appearing. For example, Peruvian specialists from the International Potato Research Center have developed varieties with increased amounts of protein, American scientists have developed a hybrid that is not afraid of pests, and Hungarian breeders have developed potatoes with twice as much protein as starch.

It is not inferior in nutritional value to veal, and it can also be eaten raw. And in Germany, they grew potatoes containing 130 times more carotene than conventional varieties.

About the holidays

Lush celebrations in honor of potatoes are held all over the world.

Thus, in the small town of Lombardy (Italy) the oldest potato harvest festival in Europe is held. The program of the holiday, which is almost 60 years old, includes vegetable picking competitions, wrestling in vats of puree, processions, parades, craft and food fairs, and humorous competitions.

About calorie content

Those who love potatoes should think about these numbers: 100 grams of mashed potatoes contain only 54 kilocalories, the same amount fried in oil contains 10 times more. Boiled “in its uniform” is much lighter - it has 66 kilocalories, and baked in the peel - already 136.

About the benefits

Potatoes contain starch and proteins. They contain all the essential amino acids, pectins, saccharides, fiber, almost all B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, P, K, PP and A, mineral salts (especially potassium and phosphorus), macro- and microelements, organic acids and sterols .

By the way, the greatest amount of useful substances is contained precisely under the skin, so the thinner it is cut, the better.

About recognition

Of the 130 countries that grow potatoes, Germany loves them most - each resident here eats about 168 kilograms per year, the Belgians eat 132 kilograms per year, and the descendants of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth eat 123 kilograms.

About cooking methods

Almost 2 thousand dishes can be prepared from potatoes - from salad to jelly.

So how do you make mashed potatoes?

We all love fluffy mashed potatoes since childhood. It would seem that you can boil potatoes, mash them and eat a tasty, nutritious dish. Let's take a closer look at the cooking process.

Classic mashed potatoes

1.First, you need to peel the potatoes, wash them and put them in water. Under no circumstances leave peeled potatoes without water for a long time; they will darken quickly.

A family of 4-5 people will need 1 kg of medium-sized potatoes (that's about 7 tubers).

2.When boiling potatoes, you should try to mash them as quickly as possible to reduce the loss of nutrients.

To do this, place it in boiling water and cook in a saucepan covered with a lid. When preparing mashed potatoes, the potatoes should be covered with water no more than 1 cm.

3. Potatoes are cooked in salted water (10 grams of salt per 1 liter of water).

Some varieties of potatoes become very boiled and soaked in water. You cannot make a tasty puree from such a product. Therefore, when cooking crumbly varieties, drain the water approximately 15 minutes after it boils, then cover the dish with a lid and finish cooking the potatoes with a minimum amount of water over low heat.

4.While the potatoes are boiling, you can prepare the milk for mashed potatoes.

Heat approximately 1 glass of milk and 50 g of butter without bringing to a boil.

The fact is that If you pour cold milk into potatoes, they will turn black and the puree will have an unsightly appearance. After this, the milk must be well salted. Mashed potatoes “love” salt.

Mashed potatoes can be diluted with sour cream, cream, potato water, and some also use mayonnaise for these purposes. You need to be guided by your taste and availability of products.

5.You can find out if the potatoes are ready by piercing them with a fork.

If the fork enters the tuber easily, the potatoes are ready; if with force, then we continue to cook. The second sign of the potatoes being ready is the subsidence of the noise of the water in the pan: as the potatoes “got silent”, they are cooked.

Before the end of cooking, you can put a couple of bay leaves and a clove of garlic in a saucepan.

6.After the potato tubers are cooked, drain the excess water from the pan. But be careful not to get burned by boiling water or steam.

Some housewives prefer to leave a little water from under the potatoes so that later they can “adjust” the liquid of the mashed potatoes.

7. Actively mash the boiled potatoes.

You can mash the puree with a mixer, however, the puree attachment may scratch the edges of the pan and not reach the transitions between the wall and the bottom of the pan.

For the same purposes, you can use a wooden masher, but the puree may absorb the smell of wood. The wooden masher should be dried thoroughly after each use.

It is best to use a special stainless steel puree masher. It looks like a perforated disk on the handle. I like this kind of masher the most, the mashed potatoes turn out very fluffy, and when cooking the potatoes not only knead, but also beat.

8. When there are no lumps left in the potatoes, you need to pour heated milk and butter into it and mix well, as if slightly whisking mashed potatoes.

There should be enough milk, the mashed potatoes should be quite liquid, since after a while it will “thicken”. If there is not enough milk for such a fluffy consistency, then you can use the previously reserved potato water or heat up a small amount of milk.

9.If the puree is supposed to sit for a while, then it should be “wrapped” in a blanket, having first wrapped the pan in a towel.

It retains heat for a long time and does not require additional heating.

10.You can serve mashed potatoes by placing a small piece of butter on it (for beauty) and sprinkling with dill or other herbs.

Luxurious mashed potatoes

Make the puree according to the recipe above, but add the egg yolk, and use half and half milk and cream. Serve on top with a pat of butter and chopped chives.

Garlic mashed potatoes

Add 3 cloves of garlic to the water when boiling potatoes for classic mashed potatoes. Mash the potatoes with 150 ml of hot milk, 2 pinches of nutmeg and season with pepper. Add 1/2 chopped and fried red onion, with the oil in which it was fried.

Savoy puree

Boil 1.5 kg of potatoes. Cut 1/2 of the savoy cabbage and boil in a little water with oil and black pepper. Heat 150 ml of milk with 4 green onions.

Mash the potatoes with the butter, stir in the milk and season. Add cabbage and serve hot.

Puree with garlic butter

Prepare classic mashed potatoes. Crush 2 cloves of garlic in a press, place in a bowl and pour in unrefined sunflower oil.

Let it brew, then add to the prepared puree. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill.

Puree with olive oil and parmesan

Add 3-4 tbsp to the freshly mashed puree. l. finely grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp. l. olive oil

Mix well and serve.

Puree with pesto sauce

Prepare classic mashed potatoes.

Prepare the pesto sauce:

Place 1 bunch of green basil (leaves only), 3-4 tbsp into a blender bowl. l. pine nuts, dried in a frying pan, 1-2 cloves of garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil.

Grind until smooth and add 2-3 tablespoons of pesto sauce to the finished puree.

Puree with mustard and butter

Add 2 tbsp to the puree. l. grainy (French) mild mustard and 50 g butter. Stir. Serve with herbs and meat.

Pumpkin puree

Boil the potatoes and bake a couple of pumpkin slices in the oven until soft. Mash the ingredients into a puree. The result is a nice colored puree that will decorate any table.

Mash with crispy bacon and green onions

Boil 1.5 kg of potatoes. Fry 6 pieces of chopped crispy bacon and 2 chopped green onions.

Add to potatoes along with butter (as described above). Serve with grilled white fish or sausages.

Potatoes with cheese in a pot

Make mashed potatoes. Add butter (reserving 1 teaspoon), beaten egg, chopped onion and diced cheese. Season the puree with salt and pepper, place in a greased pot, and place cubes of butter on the surface.

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Potatoes with garlic

Boil 1 kg. Potatoes. Bake 4 whole heads of garlic in the oven, peel and crush together with boiled potatoes, 1 tablespoon of butter, hot milk, add 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and salt.

Hot mashed potato salad with chorizo

Ingredients

1 kg of potatoes - crumbly, high in starch

125 ml natural yogurt

apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.

1.5 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. chopped rosemary leaves

salt, ground black pepper

olive oil

0.5 cups

1 tbsp. l. chopped green onions

1 tsp. finely chopped parsley

200g chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes, cut into large pieces, place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, cover loosely and cook until soft, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, vinegar and mustard in a bowl, add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continuing to whisk, pour olive oil into the dressing in a thin stream (except 1 tsp).

Place the finished potatoes in a colander, put them back in the pan and dry over medium heat for 30 seconds, then mash. Pour half of the dressing into the puree, add onion and parsley, stir and season to taste.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the chorizo sausage, cut into strips 1.5 cm wide, for 1 minute.

Place the puree on a plate, make a well in the center, and pour the remaining dressing into it. Place pieces of sausage on the surface and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.