The origin of mashed potatoes has long been disputed. The English, Irish, German and French all claim to have been the first to cook the humble mash. I don’t know who is right and I don’t care. I just love them.

Tips For Making The Perfect Mash

There is a reason this side dish ends up on the dinner tables of millions of people every day. It’s absolutely delicious. However, it is not foolproof. It’s very easy to have a mash that is too watery or lumpy. When that happens, the texture of your mash is out the window. Below are some tips to help you make the Best Ever Mashed Potato every time.

• Choice of potato is important! If your potatoes are waxing, they won’t mash as well. Also, they have less starch and more moisture. Potatoes that are high in starch will be fluffier and create a lighter, creamier mash. We have used Desiree, however Dutch Cream, Sebago and Coliban are all good choices.
• Cook your potatoes evenly! To do this and avoid grainy potatoes, you want to start with cold water from the tap. Pop the potatoes in and then bring it up to the boil. The reason for this is when you add potatoes to water that is already boiling, the starch in the potatoes reacts. The potatoes cook unevenly, leaving you with lumpy mash.
• Steam dry the potatoes! Another little trick is to leave your potatoes in a colander or sieve for a few minutes after they have been boiled. This will allow them to steam dry. This will mean that you have less water in your mash and a much creamier, fluffier texture.

Ingredients you need for Best Ever Mashed Potatoes.

Potatoes (the right kind), BUTTER (real, salted butter), cream (single pouring cream), garlic (really enhances the flavour of the mash) and of course salt and pepper (don’t skimp, mash can be bland so make sure you season it well).

And there you have it delicious, creamy, garlicky, buttery, fluffy mashed potato that everybody will love.