You'll agree that mashed potatoes are a side dish that not only tastes great, but can also be made easily and quickly! In fact, to make classic mashed potatoes, you only need to prepare potatoes, butter, cream, salt and pepper. Want to enrich the taste and texture? You can also add sour cream, fresh herbs, cheese, or even garlic!
Ingredients
Classic Mashed Potato
- 5 medium-sized russet or yukon potatoes
- 55 grams of butter that has been softened at room temperature
- 120 to 180 ml cream or a mixture of 1 part cream and 1 part milk in equal proportions
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For: 6 servings
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Classic Mashed Potatoes
Step 1. Peel and wash the potatoes under running tap water before boiling them
First of all, peel the skin of the five potatoes with a vegetable knife or a special tool for peeling potatoes. After all the potatoes are peeled, wash them immediately under cold running tap water to remove any dirt on the surface.
- If you want to mash the potato with the skin on, skip the step of peeling the potato skin. Instead, simply wash the potatoes under running tap water to remove any dirt stuck to them.
- For mashed potatoes that are very soft and tender, choose the golden russet or yukon variety. In addition to producing a denser texture of mashed potatoes, red and fingerling potatoes also take longer to prepare, especially since they are much smaller than russet or yukon potatoes.
Step 2. Cut the potatoes into 2.5 cm thickness so that the level of maturity can be more evenly distributed
Place the potatoes on a cutting board, then cut the potatoes into equal-sized cubes. First of all, cut the potatoes into quarters first, then cut each back into 4-6 similar-sized pieces. Then, put the potatoes into the pot that will be used to boil the potatoes later.
If your time is limited, simply cut the potato in half. However, be aware that you may need a longer time to boil or mash the potatoes later
Step 3. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until they are really soft when pierced with a fork
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover the pot and boil the potatoes over low heat until they are really soft when pierced with a fork. Make sure you wear heat-resistant gloves when checking the texture of the potatoes as the hot steam escaping can easily burn your hands!
- If the surface of the water looks foamy, use a vegetable spoon to scoop out and remove the foam periodically.
- If you can't boil potatoes, try baking them in the microwave. First of all, place the peeled and cut potatoes in a special heat-resistant container. Then, cover the container and cook the potatoes in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Pierce the potatoes with a fork to check the texture. If they're still not soft, re-cook the potatoes in the microwave for another 3 minutes.
Step 4. Drain the boiled water from the potatoes, then mix the potatoes with the butter
Let the potatoes remain in the pot after the boiling water has drained. Then, add 60 grams of butter, ideally, at room temperature, so that it is easier to stir than butter that is still cold. However, if you haven't had time to soften the butter at room temperature, stick with it, as the heat from the potatoes will soften the butter quickly.
If possible, let the potatoes sit in the saucepan for 10 minutes covered before adding the sour cream and butter. Doing so will allow the potatoes to dry out a bit so they will have a softer texture when eaten
Step 5. Mash the potatoes until the texture is smooth and soft
Use a special tool to mash the potatoes, then mix the mashed potatoes with the butter and sour cream. Stop mashing the potatoes when there are no more visible individual lumps.
If you want, you can also mix the potatoes with all the ingredients and mash them using an electric mixer, or even a large slotted spoon
Step 6. Add cream until the consistency is just right
After that, add salt and pepper to taste. To practice this recipe, you will need 120 to 180 ml of cream, or an equal mix of 1 part milk and 1 part cream. Gradually pour in the cream or milk and cream mixture, about 60 ml at each pour. Then, mash the potatoes manually or process the potatoes with the help of a mixer, constantly checking for consistency. Also add about 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt and pepper to taste until the taste matches your taste buds.
Do not stir the potatoes for too long so that the texture is not too thick and sticky when eaten. In general, just process the potatoes with an electric mixer for 30 seconds to get the right consistency
Step 7. Serve the potatoes while they are warm and store the remaining potatoes in the refrigerator
Place the leftover potatoes in an airtight container for up to 2 hours after the mashed potatoes are done. Then, store the container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator to maintain its shelf life. Don't forget to put a label that says "the date of manufacture of potatoes" so that the expiration date can be more easily monitored.
Warm the remaining potatoes in a 177°C oven for 20-30 minutes. Or, microwave the potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Add about 2-3 tbsp. cream to restore moisture to the potatoes and improve their texture
Method 2 of 2: Creating Mashed Potatoes and Condiments
Step 1. Boil the potatoes in milk instead of water for a creamier taste
To do this, you just need to soak the potatoes in milk (preferably high-fat milk for best results). Then, boil the potatoes over low heat for 20-25 minutes or until they are soft when pierced with a fork. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and don't throw away any remaining milk in the pan. You can reuse the remaining milk at the stage of mashing the potatoes.
The fat content in milk will prevent the potato from becoming too sticky or starchy when cooked
Step 2. Add sour cream to make the mashed potato texture creamier and taste slightly sour
When making mashed potatoes, you can add 60 ml of sour cream when adding the butter. Or, you can also add sour cream along with the rest of the ingredients. If you want, you can even replace the milk with sour cream, you know!
If you want to replace the milk with sour cream, you should add a small amount of sour cream to get the right consistency. Gradually add 30 ml of sour cream until the texture of the mashed potatoes is to your liking
Step 3. Add chopped fresh herbs to the mashed potatoes for a more aromatic taste
In particular, the combination of sage, thyme, and rosemary makes for an absolutely delicious taste! Or, you can also use a combination of chives, oregano, and tarragon. Whichever blend you prefer, add the herbs at the same time as the butter and sour cream.
Insufficient supply of herbs in your kitchen? Do not worry! Just adding a pinch of chives or parsley is also effective in enriching the taste of mashed potatoes, you know
Step 4. Add grated cheese to make the mashed potato taste more luxurious
The addition of goat cheese, blue cheese, gruyere cheese, white cheddar cheese, or even brie cheese can make classic mashed potatoes feel more luxurious in an instant! Put about 125 grams of cheese of your choice into the mashed potatoes.
- The cheese will melt on its own when exposed to the hot temperature of the potatoes. As a result, you don't have to mess with other cookware to melt the cheese!
- When warming the mashed potatoes, add a little sprinkle of cheese to make the surface texture of the potatoes crispier and tastier after they are hot.
Step 5. Add some peeled garlic cloves, if you are a garlic fan
First of all, peel and crush 6 cloves of garlic. Then, heat the garlic in a saucepan of cream before adding the liquid used to boil the potatoes. Then, mash all the ingredients as usual, then enjoy the mashed potatoes with a strong garlic aroma and taste!
Why does garlic have to be heated or boiled first in cream? This action is effective in making the garlic taste better absorbed into the potato cooking water. In addition, the texture of the garlic will also soften so that it can be more easily mashed with the potatoes
Step 6. Make mashed potatoes with a mixture of chicken stock or dairy-free vegetable milk
For those of you who are vegetarian or vegan, try substituting butter, cream, and sour cream with chicken stock or plant-based milks (such as almond milk, cashew milk, flaxseed milk, hazelnut milk, hemp seed milk, or soy milk). the same one.
- Do not use nut milk that has been added sugar or flavoring, such as vanilla almond milk.
- If you want, you can also use butter or ghee, which are lactose-free. You can easily find ghee itself on the cooking oil shelves in various large supermarkets.
