The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #109514 Message #2290363
Posted By: Geoff the Duck
17-Mar-08 - 05:19 AM
Thread Name: BS: which potatoes for what...?
Subject: RE: BS: which potatoes for what...?
WLD - as far as I am concerned, the secret to perfect mashed potato isdon't try to boil lumps which are too big or the outside will be cooked and the inside rock hard. A small spud,- about 31/2" long would cut in half (slices will cook quicker, but the end point when they disintegrate can be difficult to guess - slices work better for partial cooking before being spread over someting to bake in an oven). Boil them until the point of a sharp kife will penetrate without any resistance. It doesn't matter if one or two lumps start to collapse around the edges, that is sorted out in stage 2. Drain your spuds using a colander or strainer. They will be quite wet at this point, especially if they are overboiled. Place the strainer in the top of the hot but empty pan, so water can drip off. The hot potatoes will dry off by producing steam. The result is a quite "fluffy" texture. If, like yours, they are VERY wet, just leave them a bit longer, but keep some heat under them to speed the de-watering process.
When they are about dry enough, put a small amoulnt of milk and a knob of butter in the pan below the colander and put it over a very low heat so the milk warms slightly and the butter melts. Don't try to make the milk boil.
Add the potatoes and mash until the lumps are all gone, then put back over a low heat and mash them again, adding more milk if too dry,and continue to mash until they reach a smooth consistency.
As for variety, different potatoes will give different flavours, I like King Edwarsa, but am perfectly happy with Tesco Value as long as they are cooked right.
Quack!
GtD.