Boil in SALTED water – this will season the potatoes all the way through – until potato is very, very soft. It should virtually crumble when you jab it with a fork; Starting the potatoes in cold water makes sure that the potatoes are par cooked through evenly. Season twice Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

I love the way mashed potatoes taste when you push the potatoes through a fine mesh sieve . It gives you the smoothest, most luscious mashed potatoes you’ve ever eaten. But, if you like a slightly chunkier mash, use a potato masher. There are even different kinds of mashers: smooth mashers or chunky mashers depending on how you like your potatoes. Don’t over mix. Cream cheese or sour cream – adds a bit of tang to the mash which isn’t to my personal taste, but feel free to add a dollop if you wish! I definitely am known in my circle of friends as the best mashed potato maker. People always ask for my recipe and for a while, I didn’t understand it. Mashed potatoes, to me, are as simple as boiling water. But then, after a long discussion with a friend on how they make their mash, I realized, I have mashed potato mastery!? Heat some milk in a saucepan or in the microwave (about 150 ml per 1 kg potatoes). If you do not want to use milk, you can also use the water left over from boilingParis Mash was made famous in Australia by Guillaume Brahimi, one of our country’s top French chefs. His Paris Mash is 25% butter, and it’s so rich, I could only get through a few spoonfuls… And that’s saying something for this Potato Monster!! What is Paris Mash? Dry out potato over low heat– once the potato is mashed, stir it over low heat to steam out any residual water which will intensify the potato flavour and start the process of making it really creamy; Australia – the cheap dirt-brushed potatoes sold “everywhere” (called Sebago) are terrific all rounders to use for mashed potato By pushing the mash through the sieve along with the butter, rather than adding the fat afterwards, the fat molecules can cling to the potatoes' proteins and stop them overdeveloping. We love it when chefs get all science-y.

Waterlogged potatoes mean gluey mashed potatoes. To avoid this, make sure you drain your potatoes really well. I like to use a giant slotted spoon to scoop the potatoes out of the water. It’s a lot easier than lifting a heavy pot of hot water. Start potatoes in cold water Potato ricer, grinder or masher– I use a potato ricer which is an easy way to make smooth mashed potato. If you don’t have one, just use a handheld masher. Tip: Potato mashers with round holes work the best because they mimic the effect of a potato ricer; Interestingly, it seems this could be a relatively recent development in aligot’s long history; David, writing in 1960, makes no reference to it, and Strang simply describes the dish as “creamy”. That said, given tomme fraiche is naturally rather stringy when melted, I’d recommend also sneaking in a bit of mozzarella, as McGlynn and Gizzi Erskine’s Slow suggest, to give your aligot a little spring in its step. Cold butter –stir in cold diced butter a few at a time. The reason we use cold butter rather than soft or melted butter is because the butter melts as a whole so you get a more even distribution of the fat and milk solids throughout the potato. It makes the texture more luscious and enhances the intensely buttery flavour;British mash is made with a masher, not a mixer - Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a ricer. Don't use an electric mixer, this will turn your potatoes gummy and gluey. The type of terrain for which the digger is intended: about which all information is provided in the model specifications. Stir in the butter and milk. Add the butter and milk, gently stirring until the potatoes reach your desired consistency. Taste and season generously.