Mashed potatoes are a universal side dish for any dish: meat or vegetable. It is served with meatballs, cutlets, and goes well with meat goulash, vegetable stew and fish. Mashed potatoes are an excellent dietary dish; it is recommended for those who have some digestive problems. It contains a lot of starch, which has a healing effect on the stomach and intestines. Dietary experts recommend preparing mashed potatoes for breakfast and serving them with an omelet and a salad of fresh vegetables, such as cabbage and carrots with the addition of apples.
In order for the puree to be tasty, you need to choose certain varieties of potatoes for it. Potatoes with yellow flesh are best suited; such tubers contain a lot of starch, which makes the mashed potatoes crumbly and rich in taste.
How to properly cook mashed potatoes?
For one serving we will need the following products:
- medium-sized potatoes - 2 pieces;
- the yolk of one very fresh egg;
- milk or potato broth – 50 ml;
- salt;
- a tablespoon (level) of butter;
- for decoration: dill sprigs.
Cooking mashed potatoes correctly
- Cut the peeled potato tubers into 4 parts and put them in boiling water to boil. Salt the water in the amount of 1 tsp. salt per 1 liter. water. The cooking time for starchy potatoes is 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, wash the egg. To do this, take a little soda (about a teaspoon), add a few drops of water and thoroughly rub the egg shell, and then rinse with water. Next you need to separate the yolk from the white. Break the egg and separate the yolk by pouring it from one part of the shell to the other over a bowl. The white will remain in the bowl.
- Pour the potato broth into a bowl (we will need it later).
- Puree the potatoes in a blender or using a potato masher. Boiled potatoes turn into puree very easily. Add butter to hot puree.
- Add milk or potato broth to the puree, the yolk, if necessary, add additional salt.
Thus, the result is a very tasty and rich puree, enriched with vitamins and microelements. Bon appetit!
Did you like the recipe? Then see mine.
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 they will lose a large number 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 broth. 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;
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.
To make the puree smooth and airy, choose starchy varieties. These are round potatoes with light brown skin and light flesh. Starchy potatoes become very soft when cooked, which ensures the delicate consistency of the puree.
But it is better not to use potatoes with red skin. It does not boil so much, and the puree may end up with lumps.
What to put in mashed potatoes, except potatoes
Classic mashed potatoes would not be complete without cream. If you want the dish to have a sophisticated aroma, add a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary or other herbs to the liquid and heat over low heat.
Skillet.lifehacker.com
Another product that makes mashed potatoes tasty and airy is butter. Do not feel sorry for it and do not skimp when purchasing: the oil should be high in fat content. As an alternative, you can take refined sunflower or olive oil. However, the taste of the puree in this case will be slightly different.
skillet.lifehacker.com Both milk and butter should be at room temperature. If they are cold, the potatoes will cool faster and the mashed potatoes will have to be stirred longer. This means that it may turn out sticky.
Some people add a few tablespoons of sour cream, mayonnaise, natural yogurt or grated cheese to mashed potatoes. You can also add a raw egg, fried onions or mushrooms for flavor.
If you want to give the mashed potatoes an unusual color, boil the potatoes along with beets, carrots or pumpkin.
Fresh herbs will add a special aroma to the finished puree. It can be stirred with the rest of the ingredients or sprinkled on the dish.
How to make mashed potatoes
Peel the tubers and cut them into equal large cubes. This way the potatoes will cook more evenly.
Place the cubes in a saucepan and fill with cold water so that it covers them by about 1 cm. Salt and put on fire.
By the way, people are still arguing about when to salt the puree. Alone Perfect Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Buttermilk, Black Pepper and Green Onion chefs salt at the beginning, others Emeril Lagasse's Garlic Mashed Potatoes- at the end, third Mashed Potatoes, Kind Of Robuchon-Style- after the water boils. Famous professionals also have divided opinions about what kind of water to put potatoes in: cold Perfect Mashed Potatoes or already boiling How to make mashed potatoes.
One thing is certain: the potatoes must be completely boiled. It is easier to check the degree of readiness with a knife. It should pierce the potato cube easily.
pluckytree/Flickr.com When the potatoes are ready, drain the liquid from the pan, drain the cubes in a colander and dry them slightly. To do this, you need to put them back into the hot pan and leave for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. This will evaporate excess liquid from the potatoes, which is not needed at all in the puree.
Remember: the colder the potatoes, the more difficult it is to mash them.
The puree should not be mixed in a blender: because of this, it can become viscous, sticky and, of course, tasteless. It is better to make the puree by hand using a masher with holes. This won't take much effort because the starchy potatoes become very soft after boiling.
To prepare mashed potatoes from harder varieties, you can use a potato press. It will help get rid of lumps.
LexnGer/Flickr.com Then you need to add the remaining ingredients to the puree and mix well. Do not waste time and effort on this if you want the puree to be airy. At the end, you can season the puree with spices to taste and mix everything again.
Bonus: 4 unusual mashed potato recipes
Stacy Spensley / flickr.com Ingredients
- 400 g potatoes;
- 400 g cauliflower;
- 1 tablespoon butter;
- ½ cup cream;
- ¼ cup grated cheese;
- salt - to taste;
- a few sprigs of green onions.
Preparation
Let the potatoes cook. 10 minutes after the water boils, add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender.
Add butter, cream, cheese, salt to the mashed vegetables and mix well until smooth.
Before serving, sprinkle the puree with chopped green onions.
Ernesto Andrade / flickr.com Ingredients
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil;
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar;
- a few teaspoons of salt;
- ½ teaspoon sugar;
- 2 cups unsalted coconut milk;
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic.
Preparation
Boil the potatoes. Place the chopped onion in a frying pan with oil, add vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and sugar and cook for a few minutes. The onion should soften and turn golden brown.
Add garlic and fried onions to crushed potatoes. Mix well until smooth.
3. Baked potato and celery puree - Jamie Oliver's recipe
jamieoliver.com Ingredients
- 4 potatoes;
- sea salt - to taste;
- 300 g celery root;
- 1 head of garlic;
- 4 tablespoons olive oil;
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme;
- spices - to taste.
Preparation
Wash the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Pierce the peel with a fork and place the tubers on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 190°C.
Chop the celery root into large pieces. Place it and the garlic cloves on baking paper, sprinkle with salt, pepper, pour two tablespoons of olive oil and mix with your hands. Wrap the paper to make a package.
Half an hour after you start cooking the potatoes, place the bundle on a baking sheet and bake for another 20–30 minutes. The potatoes and celery root should be completely baked.
Peel the potatoes, squeeze out the pulp of the baked garlic and mix these ingredients with the celery. Add thyme leaves, olive oil and mix well. Season the puree with spices.
finedininglovers.com Ingredients
- 800 g potatoes;
- 500 g pumpkin;
- a little ghee;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- salt - to taste;
- 125 ml milk;
- 100 ml cream;
- 2 tablespoons butter;
- ground black pepper - to taste;
- a little nutmeg;
Preparation
Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes and boil for 25-30 minutes. Heat ghee in a frying pan and fry chopped garlic in it.
Drain the liquid from the pan, dry the vegetables and add milk, cream and butter to them. Mix well, season with salt, pepper, garlic and nutmeg and stir again.
What could be simpler than mashed potatoes? It would seem that this is one of the most banal dishes of our traditional cuisine and everyone can make it (like the no less traditional Olivier). And this is true - with one amendment. Not everyone knows how to make it tasty. What do you need to pay attention to to ensure your mashed potatoes really succeed?
General advice: Never use a blender for mashed potatoes, otherwise they will turn into glue. The ideal option is only a crusher.
1. Choose yellowish-colored potatoes for making mashed potatoes: they boil better.
2. To add flavor to the potatoes, you can add a clove of garlic, a whole onion, or a small whole carrot to the pan while cooking.
3. Don't skimp on whipping the puree. It is not enough to just crush the potatoes, you need to actually beat them - then there will be no lumps in them and that same creaminess will appear.
4. The taste of the puree will be more delicate if you add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt or processed cheese.
5. The puree will be more flexible if you add a raw egg to the crushed potatoes and beat well.
6. First of all, the potatoes need to be cooked. Sometimes problems in the form of small lumps are precisely the result of undercooked potatoes. Checking for doneness is very simple - if a knife or fork pierces the potato without any resistance, then it is, without a doubt, already cooked. To speed up the cooking of mashed potatoes, you can cut them into smaller pieces rather than boil them whole.
7. Don't skimp on butter. Its presence makes the puree tender, helps achieve a creamy consistency and gives a light creamy taste. The main sign of “stolovsky” mashed potatoes is wateriness, which indicates the absence of fat in it. And butter (and normal butter, with a fat content of about 80%, and not margarine, coquettishly called low-fat butter) is the best thing you can add to puree. Of course, there are situations when it is simply not at hand or it is absolutely forbidden to use it. Then you can forcefully replace the butter with vegetable oil, always refined oil, alone or in combination with finely chopped onions and fried until golden brown. This will make the mashed potatoes significantly more edible. But let's get back to the butter. For 0.5 kg of potatoes you will need 50-100 grams.
8. Presence of liquid. You have two options - either do not completely drain the water in which the potatoes were boiled, or add milk. Liquid is again required to add creaminess - otherwise the potatoes will fall apart into crumbs. Adding milk is not an acquired taste. In my opinion, it adds a certain aftertaste that slightly spoils the impression of the puree, and in addition, exposes the dish to the danger of rapid souring.
9. Do not add cold milk - the puree will turn gray.
10. When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and return the pan (with the potatoes, but without water) to the heat. Keep covered over low heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. This way, the absorbed water will evaporate from the potatoes and they will become more crumbly.
11. Puree goes well with the following additives and spices: white pepper, baked garlic, fried onions, fried mushrooms, chives, parsley, dill, mustard, grated Parmesan, thyme, rosemary.
12. If you need to reduce calories, in addition to replacing milk with potato broth, you can replace half the potatoes with another well-cooked vegetable with a mild taste: turnips, kohlrabi, parsnips, Jerusalem artichoke.
Loading...