There's nothing more comforting on cold winter nights than mashed potatoes. And now a top celebrity chef has revealed his best tips for perfecting the dish - and the most common mistakes we make when cooking it.
MasterChef host Marcus Wareing, who ran Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus Belgravia in The Berkeley, shared his mash method in his book Marcus Everyday. A British dinner staple, mash is usually served as a side dish to meat or vegetables and can be made using peeled or unpeeled potatoes. Milk, butter, salt and pepper are frequently used to add flavour - but it's not easy to perfect. And In his recipe compilation, the cook urges readers to follow three steps: "Cut evenly, cook evenly and don't rush."
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BBC/Shine TV)Here are some of Marcus's tips for a perfect mash...
1. Cut the potatoes evenly
It's important to peel the potatoes cleanly, then wash them and make sure they are cut into evenly sized pieces. This is because, if they are different sizes, the smaller pieces will overcook and they will absorb water, which can make your mash tasteless.
2. Boil them slowly
The potatoes need to be cooked in salted water at a slow boil. If boiled fast, the outside will be overcooked before the middle of the potato is cooked through. This will create different consistency in your mash and make it unpleasant.
3. Leave them to rest
Once the potatoes are cooked, you should drain and leave them for a good five minutes. After shaking them around, you can put them back in the pan, off the heat. Once they have rested, the potatoes are ready to be mashed to your liking, adding butter, cheese or herbs. A potato ricer helps in the process of making mashed potato.
Most people use Russets potatoes for mash because of their high starch and low water content, according to Simply Recipes. Yukon Golds, which are a little more expensive than Russets, are another popular alternative as they are naturally creamy when mashed and have a slightly buttery flavour of their own.
Marcus explains: "First, peel the potatoes cleanly, then wash them and cut them all into evenly sized pieces, otherwise the smaller potato pieces will overcook, and before they break they will absorb water, which will make your mash watery and tasteless. Boil them in salted water at a slow boil – a fast boil will overcook the outside before the middle of the potato chunks are cooked through; you don't want lumps of overcooked potato in your mash.
"Once the potatoes are cooked all the way through, but not quite falling apart, drain and leave them for a good five minutes, then shake them around and put them back in the pan, off the heat. The potatoes should then be hot enough to take the butter on board. Mash to your liking – a potato ricer really does help."
After following these steps, you can add more flavour to your mash by using butter, cheese or herbs. Another way to enrich the mixture is by adding egg yolk and some milk. For more cooking tips, you can purchase the Marcus Everyday cookbook on Amazon from £9.99.
Will you be giving Marcus's recipe a go? Let us know in the comments
