The specific method of making delicious mashed potatoes is as follows:
Mashed potatoes are the most common dish in Western food. The preparation method is very simple, and we can easily make it at home. A basic mashed potato dish only requires potatoes, butter, fresh cream, and salt and black pepper. If you want to make a "deluxe" version of mashed potatoes, you can add sour cream, fresh herbs, cheese, or garlic cloves.
1. Ingredients list (ingredients for 6 servings)
5 medium-sized light potatoes or Yukon potatoes. 55g butter, brought to room temperature, 120 to 180ml whipping cream or half-and-half cream. Some salt and black pepper.
2. Detailed steps
1. Peel the potatoes, wash them with cold water, and prepare them for boiling.
Use a fruit and vegetable peeler or a fruit knife to peel off all the skins of 5 potatoes. Next, wash the peeled potatoes with cold water to remove any sediment. (It’s okay if you don’t want to peel them, but scrub the dirt out of the crevices.) Tip: Mashed potatoes made with bare potatoes or Yukon potatoes have the fluffiest texture. Red-skin potatoes and fry potatoes make mashed potatoes that are more substantial, but take longer to prepare because these varieties are much smaller than the first two varieties.
2. Cut the potatoes into small cubes with a side length of 2.5 cm so that they can be heated evenly.
Put the potatoes on a clean cutting board and cut into small cubes of the same size. First cut the potatoes into quarters, then cut each portion into 4 to 6 equal-sized pieces. Place the potato cubes in the prepared pan. If you are pressed for time, you can boil the potatoes directly after cutting them in half, but it will take longer to thoroughly cook and mash them.
3. Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a fork can easily pass through the potato chunks.
Put the potatoes into a large pot and add enough water to cover. Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Be careful when testing potatoes for doneness. Since you need to hold the handle of the pot, it's a good idea to wear oven-safe gloves. Also be careful not to get burned by the steam.
If there is foam gathering on the water surface, you need to use a large spoon to fish out the foam from time to time. If you don't want to boil the potatoes in water, you can also heat the potatoes in the microwave. Place the peeled and diced potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and heat for 3 to 4 minutes. When the time is up, prick the potatoes with a fork. If it is soft, it means the potatoes are cooked. If it's still hard, add another 3 minutes.
4. Pour out the water in the pot and mix the potatoes and butter.
After pouring out the water in the pot, leaving the potatoes in the pot, add 55 grams of butter directly. Room temperature butter mixes better with potatoes than refrigerated butter. However, the heat from the potatoes will also melt the butter quickly, so it doesn't matter if you forget to soften the butter ahead of time. If possible, leave the potatoes in the pot from which the water has been drained, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the sour cream and butter after 10 minutes - this will make the mashed potatoes taste slightly drier and fluffier.
5. Press the potato pieces into a smooth paste.
Press the potatoes with a potato masher and add the sour cream and butter. Keep pressing until the potatoes are reduced to a large mass of puree with no visible pieces inside. You can also use an electric mixer to mash the potato cubes and mix in other ingredients. A large metal spoon with holes can also be used for mashed potatoes.
6. When the mashed potatoes become smooth, add fresh cream, salt and black pepper.
Add 120 to 160 ml of fresh or semi-fat cream to the mashed potatoes, 60 ml at a time. Stir the mashed potatoes with a hand or electric machine as you add them, and test occasionally to see if the mashed potatoes are as thick as you want them to be. In addition, add 4 grams of salt and a little black pepper, taste it, and add more if there is not enough. Don't beat the mashed potatoes for too long, otherwise the texture will become thick, sticky and not fluffy. Beating with an electric mixer for 30 seconds is enough.
7. Enjoy the mashed potatoes while they are hot, then put any leftovers in the refrigerator.
If there is any leftover mashed potatoes within two hours of making them, put them in a sealed crisper and put them in the refrigerator. The refrigeration period is 3 to 5 days. It is recommended to put a label on the crisper box and write the production date of the mashed potatoes, so that when you want to eat it, you will know whether the mashed potatoes have gone bad.
Methods for reheating mashed potatoes include heating in an oven at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes, or in a microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 30 to 45 ml of fresh cream to the hot mashed potatoes to keep the mashed potatoes fragrant and smooth.
3. You can also try different seasonings and ingredients
1. Use milk instead of boiled potatoes to make the potatoes taste more fragrant and smoother.
Just fill the pot with milk (whole milk works best) and cover the potatoes completely. Note, use low heat throughout, not high, and cook the potatoes slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they can be lightly pierced with a fork. Set aside the milk and add it to the potatoes later when pressing them. The fat in the milk prevents the potatoes from becoming too mushy.
2. Adding sour cream will make the mashed potatoes slightly sour and smoother.
While stirring the mashed potatoes, add 60ml of sour cream along with the butter. Sour cream can also be added with the remaining ingredients or as a milk substitute. If using sour cream instead of milk, the amount of sour cream may be slightly more than 60ml to achieve the desired consistency of the mashed potatoes. When adding additional sour cream, add 30 ml at a time until the mashed potatoes are as thick as required.
3. Chop the fresh herbs and add them to the mashed potatoes to let the aroma of the herbs spread.
It is recommended to mix sage, thyme, and rosemary, or mix chives, oregano, and tarragon. Both combinations add a lovely flavor to mashed potatoes. Add the mixed vanilla mince at the same time as the butter and sour cream. Even if you don’t have a lot of fresh herbs at home, slicing some scallions or parsley over mashed potatoes can add a special touch to this side dish.
4. Grate the cheese and add it to the mashed potatoes to give the mashed potatoes a gorgeous transformation.
Goat cheese, blue cheese, Lugeyere, white cheddar, and even Brie make a great addition to mashed potatoes. After the potatoes are mashed, you can sprinkle 125 grams of cheese on top and eat together. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese, so there's no need to melt the cheese in a separate bowl. While the mashed potatoes are reheating, sprinkle a handful of cheese on top to give the mashed potatoes a special baked flavor.
5. If you like to eat garlic, try peeling the whole garlic and put it into potatoes.
Prepare 6 cloves of garlic, peel and crush them. Then add the garlic to the pot and simmer over low heat with the fresh cream. Note that liquid is added to the cooked potatoes after this step is completed. Mix all the ingredients and mash, and a luxurious version of mashed potatoes with a fragrant smell and rich garlic flavor is ready. Cooking the cream and garlic together over low heat allows the aroma of the garlic to fully penetrate into the liquid, and the softened garlic is easier to mash with the potatoes and into a puree.
6. Use chicken broth or nut milk to make dairy-free mashed potatoes.
Substitute butter, heavy cream, and sour cream with equal parts chicken broth or nut milk (almond milk, cashew milk, flaxseed milk, hazelnut milk, hemp seed milk, soy milk, etc.). Avoid nut milks with added sugar or other flavors, such as vanilla almond milk. Lactose-free ghee can also be used instead of butter. Ghee can be purchased in the cooking oil section of most supermarkets.
4. Precautions
Be sure to use the freshest potatoes when making mashed potatoes. Don't buy potatoes that are green on the outside, have sprouts, or are soft in some parts.