Nothing is better than a big plate of mashed potatoes topped with gravy, but there is a simple way to make this beloved dish even more flavourful. Becky Hardin, a cook and founder of The Cookie Rookie, has revealed the key to perfect mash is cooking potatoes in milk or cream instead of just boiling them in water.
She said: “The secret to beautifully creamy, easy mashed potatoes is to boil the potatoes in a cream (or whole milk) and water mixture. The potatoes suck up all the goodness from the cream and result in flavorsome potatoes that are beautifully smooth.”
Boiling potatoes in just water is a simple way to make mash, but it can dilute their flavour, so you are more likely to have a blander dish that can feel gummy or gluey.
Cooking potatoes in milk or cream means the fats will help the potatoes release their natural starches, meaning you will get a much smoother texture for more velvety mash.
The potatoes will also absorb the flavours from the milk or cream, so you will have much tastier, creamier and richer mashed potatoes without adding anymore extra ingredients.
What’s great about this simple technique is that the potatoes cook in one pot, making it both easier to cook as well as much more delicious.
How to make mashed potatoes taste even better
You will need:
- 1.35kg of Yukon gold potatoes
- 480ml of cream or whole milk
- 720ml of water
- 115g of butter
- Salt and pepper
Method:
To begin, add your potatoes, water and cream or milk to a large saucepan over a medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Drain the potatoes in a colander over a medium bowl and make sure to save the creamy milk liquid they were cooked in.
Place the potatoes back into the saucepan by themselves over a medium-low heat. Slowly stir them for around one minute to get rid of any excess moisture.
Cut the butter into pieces and add the cubes to the saucepan. Season once again with salt and pepper then mash the potatoes until they are smooth.
If you want fluffy mashed potatoes rather than silky mash, then add some of the reserved milky liquid. If you are not eating the potatoes right away, then add a small amount of the milky mixture just before serving.
Place your mashed potatoes into a serving dish and your mouthwatering mash if ready to eat. If you wish, you can top your mashed potatoes with melted butter, cheese, chives or parsley for even more flavour.
