Mashed potatoes are the quickest side dish you can make, while also the simplest and, why not admit it, the tastiest. However, it doesn’t always turn out fluffy and soft. To avoid a possible failure, find out seven tips to get the best mashed potatoes.
Mashed potatoes can remind you of your childhood, of family lunches. You probably make it whenever you can’t think of what else to cook. If it doesn’t always turn out perfectly, here are some tips for having fluffy mashed potatoes every time.
7 tips for the best mashed potatoes
The mashed potato recipe can be adapted to suit your taste and imagination. It can contain several ingredients, depending on your culinary preferences or where you come from. You can always add cheese, greens or spices.
Before you start experimenting with different combinations, follow these seven tips for the world’s best mashed potatoes.
Use white potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
You may not have thought about it until now, but the variety of potato you use is the most important for perfect mashed potatoes. Not all potatoes are suitable for this dish. Yukon Gold potatoes have a golden interior, thin skin and lower starch content.
Cook potatoes in large chunks
The smaller the potatoes are cut, the more water will get inside them. This is why they will lose their flavor. You may even need to boil them with the skin on, which you can remove later.
Mash the potatoes while they are hot
If you want a really creamy taste and texture, don’t let the potatoes cool before mashing them. Mash them as soon as you’ve taken them off the heat and drained the water well.
Add fat first
You need to add fat before you add any other ingredients. It’s best to add butter with 82% fat. This will make the texture of the potato stay firm and creamy at the same time.
Taste several times
Don’t add all the salt at the beginning. Add a little at a time and taste from time to time to achieve the perfect balance. Starchy and fatty foods need a lot of salt to get the taste you want.
Don’t add the liquid all at once
If you add all the water left over from cooking in one dose, the potatoes won’t be able to absorb all the liquid at once. Adding water or milk in smaller amounts helps them to absorb it gradually, without the risk of the mash becoming too runny.
If you don’t want to add the cooking water, you can use room temperature milk or even plain cooking cream or cream infused with various spices. In this case, check whether you need to add more salt.
You can add more flavor with herbs
If you want to make mashed potatoes more special, you can infuse some herbs into the butter. You can use thyme, rosemary or garlic, but don’t limit yourself to these ideas. Any herb you like can be the right choice. You can also boil the herbs in liquid cream and add it to the potatoes after you add the butter.
Once the mashed potatoes are ready, you can add them as a side dish to any meat, with various sauces or just enjoy it plain.