A renowned chef has revealed the mistakes that could prevent you from making the perfect mashed potatoes. Pierre Koffmann, who has over 50 years of experience and was awarded three Michelin stars for his restaurant La Tante Claire, shared the tips for BBC Maestro.
In a popular video shared on TikTok, @Bbcmaestro asked the chef how he makes the “perfect mashed potatoes”. He shared lots of tips as he demonstrated how to prepare a “next level” version of the common side dish.
Pierre shared a step-by-step guide for preparing your own “creamy” mash. He also highlighted a few common errors to watch out for, such as a chopping mistake that could affect the taste.
Starting his demonstration, the chef explained it’s important to cut the potatoes, but you should keep an eye on the size. Pierre said: “To start the mashed potato, you cut the potato, but you never cut it too small because if you cut it very tiny, they absorb a lot of water and the mashed potato won’t be good.”
Next, he placed the potatoes in a pan on the hob, ensuring he covered them with cold water, and he added salt to the water. The expert recommended cold water for two reasons. “It’s always better to start with cold water. If you put it on hot directly it creates a kind of skin around and they take much longer to cook,” he explained.
Once he had boiled the potatoes, Pierre checked if they were cooked using a small knife. The expert explained that if the potato doesn’t stick to the knife but instead drops off it, you know it is cooked.
“Do not overcook your potato because they will start to absorb a lot of water and you are going to make a mess out of it,” he advised.
He then drained the potatoes, leaving them to sit for a few minutes for the steam to evaporate. Pierre used the time to prepare his double cream and milk, which he said should be boiling hot.
For the next step, Pierre used a ricer to create lump-free mashed potatoes, and he added “a little bit of cream and milk”, gently whisking it. Finally, he added butter to his potatoes. “Little by little, you drop some cube of butter. It makes the mash creamy. You can put as much butter as you want.”
The end result looked great, and the chef confirmed that the mashed potatoes were “perfect.” Signing off the video, he said: “Beautiful mashed potato. Bon Appétit.”
Viewers loved the tip. Responding to the video on social media, a commenter said: “Great tips on the size and not to overcook, I tend to overcook and true they become watery and mushy.” Another response said: “Delicious. I do also love lumpy mash.”