How to make the perfect mashed potatoes. The right way to make mashed potatoes

What could be easier than mashed potatoes? But, at one hostess it is tasty, and the other is even tastier. And the third one...
In the meantime, there are a few secrets that turn a simple mashed potato into a gourmet dish.

Cooking mashed potatoes

1 secret mashed potato

To prepare a delicious mashed potatoes, it is better to take middle-aged potatoes. But not old either. And in no case should the potatoes be sprouted (such potatoes have an aftertaste that is undesirable in mashed potatoes).

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's not good for purees.

2 secret mashed potatoes

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

Chopped potatoes should be run in boiling and lightly salted water.

Potatoes must be fully cooked. And not overcooked. There needs to be a middle ground here.

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

3 secret mashed potatoes

Some housewives (or hosts) use a food processor, mixer, or blender to make mashed potatoes. But, it is better to do this with a wooden pusher and a special pusher 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 mashed potatoes

Quite often it is recommended to use only hot milk when preparing mashed potatoes. This is done so that the puree does not turn gray. Such a statement, to put it mildly, is not true. The color of the puree will depend on the variety of potatoes, and the temperature of the milk has little effect on the color of the finished puree.

But if the puree is poured with cold milk, then 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 needs to be hot. And you will definitely need butter. The oil must be real oil. And it should be at least 80-100 g per 500 g of potatoes. If you want a real puree - do not spare butter. It is butter that gives the puree a soft, delicate taste.

Melt the butter in hot milk and add this mixture to the potatoes in small portions, whisking constantly - this is what a pusher with holes is for. Then the puree will turn out light and airy. Potatoes should not be crushed, but beaten. Make potato cream.

And at this stage, the puree needs to be salted.

5 secret mashed potatoes

The pot with ready mashed potatoes should be wrapped in a towel and left for 15-20 minutes - so the perfect consistency will form in the mashed potatoes. And don't be afraid - potatoes keep heat for a long time and you don't have to reheat them.

Yes, mashed potatoes should not be stored or reheated. And if it so happened that you could not eat everything at one time - use mashed potatoes for stuffing pies or for making casseroles.

Mashed Potato Recipes

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

Substituting milk for chicken bouillon. We don't give up butter. Whisk well;

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

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

We prepare small cracklings, add to the puree and beat well;

Grate hard cheese on a fine grater, add to hot mashed potatoes and beat. Cheese should be up to about a quarter of the volume of mashed potatoes;

Ignite walnuts (a handful), grind well and season them with mashed potatoes, beat;

Grate nutmeg and season mashed potatoes with fresh nuts;

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. Fill the puree with this mixture and beat;

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

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 mash them. Stew sesame (or sesame paste) in a pan with the addition of orange juice and milk - add to mashed potatoes and beat well, garnish with cumin;

Many experienced housewives will think 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 in such a simple dish as mashed potatoes, there are secrets to cooking. Be sure to follow all the cooking technology, so that in the end you get a lush and tender puree. So, how and with what you can cook this dish.

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

How to make mashed potatoes with milk

How to cook:

Peel the skin off the potatoes and remove all eyes and stains. Then it must be cut into medium slices;

We spread the potatoes in a metal container, pour water, pour salt and cook until tender. Readiness can be checked with a fork or the tip of a knife. The point should be free to enter the potatoes;

The milk warms up a little;

After that, we begin to knead the potatoes with a pusher and gradually pour warm milk;

Then add oil 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.

Cooking:

The skin is peeled off the potatoes and cut into pieces. We put in cold water so that it does not darken;
Next, put in a metal container, pour 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 in the form of straws;
Next, the onion should be fried in vegetable oil for 5-10 minutes;
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, you need to drain the water from it;
While it is hot, it must be kneaded with a crush or passed through a special press with a fine mesh;
Then butter should be added to the puree and mixed;
Milk should be warmed up;
Pour hot milk into puree and mix. Cream can be used instead of milk;
Onions can be put directly into the puree and mixed. It can also be served separately when serving puree on the table, so that everyone can regulate its amount in puree.

Delicious french mashed potatoes

Components that will be required:

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

Cooking:

The tubers should be thoroughly washed and dried;
Next, make envelopes from baking paper. To do this, cut off two sheets and fold in half;
Then we put 5 potatoes in one half and cover with the second half. We wrap all edges tightly;
Fold the rest of the potatoes in the same way;
After that, lay out the envelopes on a baking sheet;
The oven heats up to 220 degrees. We place a baking sheet with envelopes there and leave to bake for an hour;
We take out the finished potatoes, cool and peel;
Next, put it in a deep bowl and crush it with a crush 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 well;
Pour the puree mixture and mix;
Put the entire resulting mass on a baking sheet, pour sour cream or cream and place in the oven;
The puree is baked for about 15 minutes.

Delicate mashed potatoes without milk with broccoli in a slow cooker

Components that will be required:

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

Cooking:

The tubers are peeled, washed and laid out in cold water so that they do not turn black;
Broccoli is washed and cut into medium pieces;
Then the garlic cloves must 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 water on the gas and spread the butter. We heat and boil until the butter is completely dissolved;
After that, put the peeled tubers into the multicooker cup, for convenience they can be cut into two parts. We also put broccoli there;
Fill with water to cover the top of the vegetables and add some salt. We turn on the extinguishing mode and cook for 30 minutes;
After that, drain some water and add a mixture of oil, garlic and spices;
Then we fall asleep cheese and pour water with butter;
Simmer another 10 minutes;
After that, all the ingredients should be crushed to an air puree;
A bunch of greens should be finely chopped and sprinkled on top of the puree.

Colored Mashed Potato Recipe for Kids

Ingredients that will be required:

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

Cooking:

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

Puree Recipes

Well, we learned how to do this dish correctly, but what can be done from mashed potatoes, which dish? Let's look at the options.

Mashed potato casserole with minced meat

Products for casseroles:

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

Cooking:

Tubers should be cleaned and boiled in water with salt until tender;
The peeled onion is chopped into small pieces;
We put a frying pan on the fire, pour vegetable oil and heat it up. Put minced meat and onion slices on hot oil. We fry everything until cooked, you also need to add a pinch of coriander;
Boiled potatoes can be put in a blender cup, add sour cream and beat air puree;
Then we break the eggs and separate the whites and yolks;
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy;
Put the potato mass in a deep bowl, add the egg yolks there and beat;
After that, pour the protein mass into the mass. The mixture must be gently mixed so that it does not lose its shape;
Next, grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil and spread the potato mass on it with a layer;
Then spread the minced meat with onions in the form of a layer on the puree;
At the end, close the top with the potato mixture;
We place the baking sheet in a preheated oven to 220 degrees and bake for half an hour.

potato cutlets

The following components will be required:

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

Cooking:

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

Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes, but no more. Otherwise, it will become very soft 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 on a small fire for a couple of minutes;
It is best to knead with a crush, with the help of which 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 properly prepared, of course. It is especially tasty in the form of puree. It can be eaten alone or with vegetable and meat side dishes.

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

Mashed potatoes are the most popular and beloved side dish in our country. It is difficult to say which dish the hostesses cook as often as mashed potatoes. It is truly universal: tasty, plastic, allows you to experiment with design. Mashed potatoes are wonderfully combined with any meat, vegetables, fish, leaving a feeling of satiety for a long time. Perhaps, in Russia, in popularity, this dish confidently overtakes even pasta, not to mention cereals and vegetables.

But in order for puree to really deliver pleasure - and not only in taste, but also in appearance - it must be properly prepared. It doesn't require any special talent. 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 appliances. Armed with an ordinary wooden pestle, you can make the perfect mashed potatoes.

Cook the right potatoes the right way

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

Elastic, with a smooth dense skin, the tubers are cleaned, washed thoroughly with water and boiled until cooked, dipped in hot water. Salt should be as soon as the water boils. You don’t need to cut the potatoes very finely: this way, of course, it will cook faster, but it will lose a lot of starch. As soon as the potatoes are ready, they need to be drained and slightly dried over a fire.

Everything must be hot.

Directly preparing mashed potatoes 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 us omit the cases when, in order to save money, water is taken instead of butter - here one cannot count on excellent results. But even with the right ingredients, mashed potatoes can be too gooey and nasty greyish. And the secret is that mashed potatoes should be made exclusively from hot potatoes, the temperature of which is not lower than 80 ° C. The butter and milk added to the potatoes should 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 the 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 ordinary puree. For children, you can build whole pictures of mashed potatoes, vegetables and herbs on a plate. Sophisticated gourmets emphasize the taste of mashed potatoes with ground pepper, garlic, cheese and even nuts. But most importantly, never reheat cold mashed potatoes. Its shelf life is only two hours. After that, mashed potatoes can be used to make potato pie, zraz, casseroles, fillings, but it can no longer be a side dish.

Potatoes are a universal product that is known all over the world. It is fried, boiled, baked, deep-fried, stuffed in pies. Mashed potatoes are a hearty, tasty and healthy side dish. It is not difficult to make it at all, and therefore in many families where housewives are too lazy to cook 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 dishes

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

Potatoes cook for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the variety. To find out if it's ready, pierce it with a toothpick - the stick should go in gently. Do not overcook the potatoes, otherwise the mashed potatoes will not be homogeneous, but with lumps.

An important tip - use clean drinking water to boil potatoes. Then, with the liquid in which the potatoes were boiled, you will dilute the mashed potatoes, making it more rare.

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

Mashed Potato Recipes:

Recipe 1: Mashed Potatoes

The presented recipe is the simplest and most common, without any frills. Such mashed potatoes will be delicious served with meat products, pouring gravy or adding a little butter. Such potatoes can be seasoned with ground pepper, dried basil or chopped herbs.

Required Ingredients:

Potatoes 4-5 medium-sized root vegetables
Water for potatoes
condiments
Butter

Cooking method:

Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes in a saucepan with water and put to boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt the water. Boil potatoes for about 15-20 minutes over low heat under a closed lid.
When the potatoes are soft, drain some of the water where they boiled into a cup, and pour the rest. Start mashing the potatoes with a potato masher, turning it into a puree. Add liquid little by little, thinning the puree.
When you see that the mashed potatoes have acquired the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and spices to it, mix.

Recipe 2: Paprichnoe 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. The spices are perfect for thyme and basil.

Required Ingredients:

Medium potatoes 4-5 pieces
Bulgarian pepper 1 piece
Puree water
Butter
Ketchup with bell pepper 100 ml
Thyme

Cooking method:

Peeled and chopped potatoes should be poured with water and boiled on the stove. After the water has boiled, salt the potatoes.
Wash the bell pepper, remove the middle and cut into pieces. Add it to the pot 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, turning them into a puree. Add liquid and ketchup little by little, thinning the puree. If you use spicy ketchup, the puree will get a spicy taste.
When you see that the paprika mashed potatoes have reached the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and thyme leaves to it, mix.

Recipe 3: Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Tomatoes

Such a dish will resemble the usual potato very remotely, only a 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
condiments

Cooking method:

Peeled and chopped potatoes should be poured with water and boiled on the stove. After the water boils, salt the potatoes and boil them until soft.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the tomatoes. Wash, cut them into cubes as small as possible. Remove the husk from the garlic and cut it into pieces. Heat the pan, grease with oil and put the garlic first, then the tomatoes. Saute 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 quite a bit of liquid, cream cheese, butter.
Put the vegetables from the pan into the finished puree, gently mix with a spoon and serve.

Recipe 4: Abkhazian Mashed Potatoes

Do not be alarmed when you see orange juice in the recipe - it will not spoil the taste of potatoes, but, on the contrary, will emphasize the overall softness and spice of the dish. Serve this mashed potato with grilled meats, especially pork or lamb. The turmeric in the recipe will give the puree an unusual orange color, but you can choose not to use it.

Required Ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
Carrot 1 piece
Puree water
Milk 100 ml
condiments
Turmeric 1 teaspoon
Orange juice 50 ml

Cooking method:

Wash the carrots and cut into cubes. Add it to the pot 10 minutes after the water and potatoes have boiled.
Remove the cooked potatoes from the stove, drain the liquid and mash with a potato masher. Gradually add juice and milk to puree. 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 puree, and 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
Puree water
Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons
Sour cream 100 ml (or heavy cream)
Pine nut
Butter
condiments

Cooking method:

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

Recipe 6: Mashed Potatoes with Broccoli and Herbs

A dish with fragrant herbs and broccoli will take you to a spring meadow at any time of the year.

Required Ingredients:

Potatoes 5-6 pieces
Puree water
Broccoli 200 grams
Dill fresh
White sesame
Butter
condiments

Cooking method:

Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes with water and boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt the water. Boil potatoes until soft.
Boil the broccoli in a separate saucepan for about 5 minutes in boiling water.
Cool the broccoli and puree it in a blender along with the dill, butter and parsley.
Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the stove, drain some of the liquid into a cup and mash with a potato masher. Gradually add liquid from the cup, mashed broccoli, sesame seeds. To make this puree more savory, add a teaspoon of wasabi to it.

One of the secrets to a delicious puree is thorough cleaning. It is not only about peeling off the skin, but also cutting out all the “eyes”, green and unripe places. If such black and dense pieces are caught in mashed potatoes, 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. A tuber cut into three or four parts is the most correct number of pieces.
Don't overcook the potatoes, but don't leave them undercooked either, or the mashed potatoes will be patchy even if you grind them a lot.
To make the finished mashed potatoes more fluffy, beat it twice. The first time is standard, using a pusher or pestle. And when the puree has cooled down a bit, beat it with a mixer for 2-3 minutes.
When you mash boiled potatoes, instead of the liquid where the potatoes were boiled, you can use meat broth or milk. Milk must be warmed up 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, chopped herbs.

Everyone knows the story of how Peter I sent potatoes to Russia from Holland, but it was 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

The potato is more than 4 thousand years old, it was discovered by the Indians of South America, who revered the fruits of the plant as a top-notch delicacy. Much later, the tubers took their place of honor on the table.

About the title

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 associated primarily with a high content of useful trace elements. For example, red-purple varieties are rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant substance that protects against aging; yellow has a lot of carotene, which improves eyesight; black potatoes are just a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.

True, its appearance is so unusual that it is not particularly popular. In any case, 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 an increased amount 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.

In terms of nutritional value, it is not inferior to veal, and besides, it can be eaten raw. And in Germany, potatoes were grown that contain 130 times more carotene than ordinary varieties.

About holidays

Lush celebrations in honor of potatoes suit all over the world.

So, 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 competitions for picking vegetables, wrestling in vats of puree, processions, parades, craft and food fairs, humorous contests.

About calories

Those who love potatoes should think about the following figures: 100 grams of mashed potatoes contain only 54 kilocalories, while the same amount fried in oil contains 10 times more. Boiled "in uniform" is much easier - it contains 66 kilocalories, and baked in a 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 nutrients is found under the skin, so the thinner it is cut, the better.

About recognition

Of the 130 countries that grow potatoes, Germany loves it the most - about 168 kilograms a year per inhabitant, the Belgians eat 132 kilograms during the year, and the descendants of the Commonwealth - 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?

Since childhood, we all love airy mashed potatoes. It would seem that boil potatoes, mash them and eat a delicious, nutritious dish. Let's take a closer look at the cooking process.

Classic mashed potatoes

1. To begin with, the potatoes must be peeled, washed and put in water. In no case do not leave peeled potatoes for a long time without water, they quickly darken.

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

2. When boiling potatoes, one should strive to mash potatoes as quickly as possible in order to reduce nutrient loss.

To do this, it is placed in boiling water and boiled in a pan with a lid. When mashing, the potatoes should be covered with no more than 1 cm of water.

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

Some varieties of potatoes are very soft and soaked with water. From such a product you can not make a delicious puree. Therefore, when cooking friable varieties, the water is drained about 15 minutes after it boils, then the dishes are covered with a lid and the potatoes are cooked with a minimum amount of water over low heat.

4.While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare milk for mashing.

Heat about 1 cup of milk and 50 g of butter without boiling.

The fact is that If you pour cold milk into a potato, it will turn black and the puree will look unsightly. After that, the milk should be well salted. Mashed potatoes love salt.

Mashed potatoes can be diluted with sour cream, cream, potato water, and some people use mayonnaise for this purpose. You need to be guided by your taste and the availability of products.

5. You can find out about the readiness of potatoes by piercing it with a fork.

In the event that the fork enters the tuber easily, the potatoes are ready, if with effort, then we continue to cook. The second sign of potato readiness is the subsiding of the noise of water in the pan: as the potato "silenced", so it was 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, excess water is drained from the pan. But be careful not to burn yourself with 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 knead the boiled mashed potatoes.

It is possible to mash puree with a mixer, however, the puree attachment can scratch the edges of the pot and not reach in the transitions between the wall and the bottom of the pot.

For the same purpose, you can use a wooden pusher, but the puree can absorb the smell of wood. The wooden pusher must be dried thoroughly after each use.

It is best to use a special stainless steel masher. It looks like a perforated disc on the handle. I like this crush the most, the mashed potatoes are very fluffy, the potatoes are not only kneaded during cooking, but also whipped.

8. When there are no lumps left in the potatoes, pour warm milk with butter into it and mix well, as if whipping mashed potatoes a little.

There should be enough milk, the mashed potatoes should be quite liquid, because after a while it will "thicken". If there is not enough milk for such a lush consistency, then you can use the water left earlier from under the potatoes or warm up a small amount of milk.

9. If it is supposed that the puree should stand for a while, then it must be “wrapped” in a blanket, after wrapping 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 putting a small piece of butter on it (for beauty) and sprinkling with dill or other herbs.

Luxurious mashed potatoes

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

Garlic mashed potatoes

Add 3 cloves of garlic to the water when boiling potatoes for a 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 oil in which it was fried.

Savoy puree

Boil 1.5 kg of potatoes. Cut 1/2 Savoy cabbage and boil in a little water with oil and black pepper. Heat up 150 ml of milk with 4 green onion feathers.

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

Puree with garlic oil

Make classic mashed potatoes. Crush 2 cloves of garlic in a press, put in a bowl and pour over unrefined sunflower oil.

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

Puree with olive oil and parmesan

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

Mix well and serve.

Puree with pesto sauce

Make classic mashed potatoes.

Prepare the pesto:

Put 1 bunch of green basil (leaves only), 3-4 tbsp. into a blender bowl. l. pan-dried pine nuts, 1-2 garlic cloves 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 to puree 2 tbsp. l. grainy (French) mild mustard and 50 g butter. Stir. Serve with greens and meat.

Puree with pumpkin

Boil the potatoes, and bake a couple of slices of pumpkin in the oven until soft. Blend the ingredients into a puree. It will turn out a pleasant colored puree that will decorate any table.

Mashed potatoes 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 oil (as described above). Serve with grilled white fish or sausages.

Potato with cheese in a pot

Make mashed potatoes. Add oil (reserving 1 teaspoon), beaten egg, chopped onion and diced cheese. Salt and pepper the mashed potatoes, put in a greased pot, spread the butter cubes on the surface.

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

Potatoes with garlic

Boil 1 kg. Potato. Bake in the oven 4 whole heads of garlic, 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 potatoes - crumbly, high in starch

125 ml natural yoghurt

apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.

1.5 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp crushed rosemary leaves

salt, ground black pepper

olive oil

0.5 cup

1 st. l. chopped green onion

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

200g chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

Cooking:

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

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

Throw the finished potatoes in a colander, put back in the pan and dry over medium heat for 30 seconds, then mash. Pour half the dressing into the puree, add the 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, on it, 1 minute.

Put the puree on a dish, make a well in the center, pour the remaining dressing into it. Arrange sausage slices on the surface, sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.