Creamy mashed potatoes

Tamara West

There are two secrets to achieving a perfectly smooth, creamy potato mash. The first thing is to have the potatoes as dry as possible before mashing them, secondly it’s the addition of a boiling hot mix of either milk or cream, depending on how rich you like your mash — and, of course, some butter. To ensure there are no lumps and to achieve a lovely creamy texture. I like to put my potatoes through a fine sieve instead of using a potato masher.

Ingredients

600 g	Potatoes, peeled, I use agria (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
100 ml	Milk, or cream
50 g	Butter

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes evenly into halves or quarters depending on their size. This will help them to cook all at the same time.
2. Cover them with cold water, add salt and bringto the boil. Simmer gently for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Drain well and carefully tip potatoes back into the pot and return to a very low heat to "steam off" to dry them out. This will take about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter until boiling. Press the potatoes through a fine sieve to ensure there are no lumps. Place the potatoes into a clean saucepan and warm on a low heat.
5. Slowly add in the boiling hot liquid, stirring well to create a soft, smooth, creamy texture. Season with salt if needed.

Make a change

You can add any extra seasonings to this base mash recipe. Some of my favourites are freshly ground pepper, a little freshly grated nutmeg, sliced fresh chives or parsley, crumbled feta or blue cheese.