It's hard to come up with a more classic side dish than mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are a welcome dish not only on the festive table, but also on ordinary weekdays. You can serve mashed potatoes with different dishes: fried chicken, baked turkey, stew or how main ingredient shepherd's pie. Mashed potatoes can be fluffy and creamy, or thicker and richer in flavor. In any case, mashed potatoes are not at all a monotonous side dish. After reading this article, you will learn how to make delicious mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 medium sized potatoes
• 1/2 - 1 cup milk or chicken broth (depending on how you want to puree)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Village puree preparation

Choose a potato. When choosing potatoes, think about what you will cook from it. Different varieties potatoes intended for boiling, frying, baking have different properties, as well as taste and texture.

1. Wash the potatoes. Wash each potato thoroughly with cold water. Carefully inspect each potato so that there is no dirt left anywhere. If you wash your potatoes in a bowl of water, do so thoroughly before cutting the potatoes.

   • You can use a small brush specially designed for washing potatoes. You will be able to remove all the dirt.

2. You can either cook the potatoes with the skins on, or you can peel the skins before cutting the potatoes into pieces. Cut the potatoes into quarters or cut them into cubes.

   • If you decide to boil potatoes with their skins on, be aware that this will affect the texture of the mashed potatoes. Therefore, it is better to use Yukon Gold, as this variety of potatoes has a thin skin than Russet potatoes.

3. Prepare potatoes. Place the prepared potatoes in large saucepan and pour cold water. Potatoes should be covered with water for a few centimeters. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Check the readiness of the potatoes with a fork. The potatoes should be soft when pierced with a fork.

   Prepare additional ingredients. While potatoes are cooking, heat chicken bouillon or milk and take the butter out of the refrigerator.

   • Use chicken broth if you want a richly flavored puree. Thanks to milk, you can cook potatoes with a creamy taste.
   • If you heat milk or broth, your puree will stay hot longer. In addition, potatoes absorb warm liquids better.

4. Drain the water and prepare the potatoes. Use a colander to drain water from potatoes. Put the pot back on the stove. Add butter room temperature and mash potatoes.

   • Crushing potatoes is better than a regular crush. However, do not overdo it, otherwise you will get a mashed potatoes of the wrong consistency, which is suggested by this recipe. Small pieces and peel should remain intact.

5. Add milk or broth. Do it gradually. Stir gently and add a little more liquid if you think your potatoes are dry. Continue adding liquid gradually until the mashed potatoes are the right consistency.

   • Do not add all the milk or broth at once. In the end, you can add too much liquid, and you will end up with not puree, but potato soup. Add liquid according to the type of potato and its level of starch.

6. Add spices and serve. Add salt, pepper and/or more oil to taste. Serve the puree warm.

   • Alternatively, you can add chopped onions or peppers to your dish.

   Making Creamy Smooth Mashed Potatoes

   1. Choose a potato. When choosing potatoes, consider what you will cook from it. Different varieties of potatoes intended for boiling, frying, baking have different properties, as well as taste and texture.

      • A common variety of potatoes with high level starch content is russet. Nothing can beat it when baking and cooking lung and fluffy mashed potatoes.
      • Use potatoes that are low in starch, such as red skinned potatoes. Such potatoes are sometimes called waxy, they keep their shape better than other varieties.
      • Yukon Gold potatoes can be cooked different dishes. You can fry, boil, bake this variety of potatoes. If you decide to make mashed potatoes from this variety of potatoes, you will succeed tasty dish with creamy taste.

   2. Wash the potatoes. Wash each potato thoroughly with cold water. Carefully inspect each potato so that there is no dirt left anywhere. If you wash your potatoes in a bowl of water, do so thoroughly before you cut the potatoes.

      Prepare potatoes for cooking. Peel the potatoes before cutting them into pieces. Cut the potatoes into quarters or cut them into cubes. The larger the pieces, the longer the potatoes will cook.

To make the puree homogeneous and airy, choose starchy varieties. It is a round potato with a light brown skin and light flesh. Starchy potatoes are very soft during cooking, which provides a delicate texture of mashed potatoes.

But it is better not to use potatoes with a red skin. It does not boil so much, and the puree may turn out with lumps.

What to put in mashed potatoes, except for potatoes

Classic mashed potatoes can not do without or cream. If you want the dish to have exquisite fragrance, add a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary or other herbs and heat over low heat.

Skillet.lifehacker.com

Another product that makes mashed potatoes tasty and airy is butter. Do not feel sorry for him and do not be stingy when buying: the oil should be high in fat. Alternatively, you can take refined sunflower or olive oil. However, the taste of puree in this case will be slightly different.

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Both milk and butter should be at room temperature. If they are cold, the potatoes will cool faster and the mashed potatoes will take longer to mix. Which means it can be sticky.

Some put a few tablespoons of sour cream, mayonnaise, natural yogurt or grated cheese. For taste, you can also add a raw egg, fried onions or mushrooms.

If you want to give the puree an unusual color, boil the potatoes with beets, carrots or pumpkin.

Gives a special flavor to the finished puree fresh herbs. It can be mixed with the rest of the ingredients or sprinkled on a dish.

How to make mashed potatoes

Peel the tubers and cut them into equal large cubes. Thus, the potatoes will boil more evenly and.

Put the cubes in a saucepan and cover with cold water so that it covers them by about 1 cm. Salt and put on fire.

By the way, about when to salt mashed potatoes, they are still arguing. Alone Perfect Mashed Potatoes , Mashed Potatoes with Buttermilk, Black Pepper and Green Onion chefs salt at the beginning, others Emeril Lagasse's Garlic Mashed Potatoes- at the end, third Mashed Potatoes, Kind Of Robuchon-Style- after boiling water. Opinions were divided among famous professionals about what water to put potatoes in: in cold Perfect Mashed Potatoes or already boiling How to make mashed potatoes.

One thing can be said for sure: the potatoes should be completely boiled. It is easier to check the degree of readiness with a knife. It should easily pierce a cube of potatoes.

pluckytree/Flickr.com

When the potatoes are ready, drain the liquid from the pan, put the cubes in a colander and dry them slightly. To do this, put them again in a hot pan and leave for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. This will evaporate excess liquid from the potatoes, which is not needed at all in mashed potatoes.

Remember: the colder the potatoes, the more difficult it is to mash them.

Puree should not be mixed in a blender: because of this, it can become viscous, sticky and, of course, tasteless. It is better to mash by hand using a pusher with holes. This won't take much effort from you, because starchy potatoes become very soft after boiling.

To purée more hard varieties You can use a potato press. It will help get rid of lumps.

LexnGer/Flickr.com

Then add the rest of the ingredients to the puree and mix well. Do not spare time and effort on this if you want the puree to turn out airy. At the end, you can season the puree with spices to taste and mix everything again.

Bonus: 4 Unusual Mashed Potato Recipes

Stacy Spenceley / flickr.com

Ingredients

• 400 g potatoes;
• 400 g of cauliflower;
• 1 tablespoon of butter;
• ½ cup cream;
• ¼ cup grated cheese;
• salt - to taste;
• a few sprigs of green onions.

Cooking

Put the potatoes to boil. 10 minutes after the water boils, add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender.

Put butter, cream, cheese, salt into the mashed vegetables and mix well until smooth.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions before serving.

Ernesto Andrade/flickr.com

Ingredients

• 1 kg of potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar;
• a few teaspoons of salt;
• ½ teaspoon of sugar;
• 2 cups unsalted coconut milk;
• 1 tablespoon dried garlic.

Cooking

Boil potatoes. Put the chopped onion in a frying pan drizzled with oil, add vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and sugar and cook for a few minutes. The onion should soften and become golden brown.

In crushed potatoes, add garlic and fried onions. Mix well until smooth.

3. Mashed Baked Potatoes and Celery - Jamie Oliver's Recipe

jamieoliver.com

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes;
• sea ​​salt - to taste;
• 300 g of celery root;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme;
• spices - to taste.

Cooking

Rinse potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Pierce the skin with a fork and place the tubers on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 190°C.

Cut the celery root into big chunks. Place it and the garlic cloves on baking paper, sprinkle with salt, pepper, drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and toss with your hands. Wrap the paper so that you get a bundle.

Half an hour after the start of cooking potatoes, put the bundle on a baking sheet and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Potatoes and celery root should be completely baked.

Peel the potatoes, squeeze out the pulp of the baked garlic and mix these ingredients with the celery. Add thyme leaves, olive oil and mix well. Season the puree with spices.

finedininglovers.com

Ingredients

• 800 g potatoes;
• 500 g pumpkin;
• a little melted butter;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• salt - to taste;
• 125 ml of milk;
• 100 ml cream;
• 2 tablespoons of butter;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• a little nutmeg;

Cooking

Peeled potatoes and cut into cubes and boil for 25-30 minutes. Heat the ghee in a frying pan and fry the chopped garlic in it.

Drain the liquid from the pan, dry the vegetables and add milk, cream and butter to them. Mix well, season with salt, pepper, garlic and nutmeg and mix again.

Mashed potatoes are a side dish that cooks the fastest and is considered the most favorite among the Slavic peoples. In words, even children know how to cook mashed potatoes, but in practice, even experienced housewives it rarely comes out airy and creamy. Some sin on the "wrong" potatoes, others explain the failure by adding a small amount of milk. Indeed, there are many nuances in the preparation of this dish, but knowing them, you can pamper your family with a delicious side dish at least every day.

Stage 1. We select the products from which we will prepare mashed potatoes

All of them are available and are in every kitchen. So, according to the recipe, we take:

1. Potato, but not young, but one that was stored in the cellar for at least 1-2 months after being dug up. As for the variety, it is advisable to take starchy varieties of potatoes for cooking. Checking if the tuber is rich in starch is simple: cut it into two halves and rub it against each other. If they are tightly fastened together, then the puree will come out of them excellent!
2. Butter with a fat content of at least 80%. This ingredient will give ready meal gentle creamy taste and creamy texture.
3. Milk. Let's make a reservation right away - you can do without it (for example, if you are afraid that the puree will quickly turn sour or want to reduce the calorie content of the side dish). In general, milk is added so that the mashed potatoes are not dry and do not come across small granular crumbs.
4. Egg white. It is always added to the recipe for mashed potatoes by French chefs to give the dish airiness.

Now about the amount of this or that ingredient.

Ingredients

• Potato -1 kg. (6-8 medium sized tubers)
• Butter - 50-100 gr.
• Milk - 150 ml.
• Egg white - 1 pc.
• Salt to taste.

Stage 2. Cook potatoes

1. Armed with a brush, we wash the tubers from the ground under running water. We remove the peel, cut out the eyes and spoiled places with the tip of a knife. We cut the potato into halves or even quarters and lay it in already boiling water. A few words about the amount of water: if you cook according to the classic recipe, then it should only cover the potatoes.
2. We make a small fire, close the pan with a lid and cook the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, but it’s better to focus not on mean numbers (after all, each variety has its own cooking time), but on the state of the potato: if a knife / fork easily enters it, then the water can be drained . Yes, almost ready potatoes need to be salted.

Step 3. Push and beat the mashed potatoes

Step 4. Serve the airy mashed potatoes.

We put a pile of puree on a plate (for example, as in our photo), make a deepening in the center and put it in a piece of butter. If desired, you can sprinkle the side dish with chopped herbs.

cook by basic recipe you can also use festive mashed potatoes, but you will have to decorate it in a special way. We will offer only two options: turn a pile of mashed potatoes into a volcano (fiery lava can easily be replaced tomato sauce), or make a "cobweb" and place a miniature spider on it.

The above puree recipe is a classic, but even on its basis you can make an original one. appearance garnish. So, you can stew spinach until soft, then chop it in a blender and add it during cooking - the puree will come out bright green. The air mass will be orange if you cook and beat potatoes with carrots, and pink if you add beet juice. Men will like mashed potatoes with cracklings and fried onions, bacon, mushrooms or mustard. Gourmets should try cooking mashed potatoes in French or Italian recipe. According to them, grated is added to the whipped mass. nutmeg(French version), or tomatoes, olive oil, tomatoes and ricotta cheese.

Mashed potatoes are a very frequent dish on our tables, they are served not only in the daily diet, but also on festive table, because it is able to perfectly complement almost any dish - meat, fish, as well as vegetables. mashed potatoes - wonderful option food for a child and for an adult, for a teenager and for an elderly person. There are not many people who would refuse this amazingly tasty and hearty meal. How to fully disclose taste qualities potatoes and make a real masterpiece from this familiar everyday dish? In this article, you will learn which ingredients are used to give ordinary mashed potatoes a special taste.

What are mashed potatoes?

Taste is a delicate matter. Someone will like one thing, someone will prefer something completely different. At your choice, we present several options for preparing mashed potatoes with various additives. Find among them the most suitable recipe for you.

Classic mashed potatoes

Ingredients to create it:

• potatoes - 10 pieces;
• milk - 1 glass;
• salt - a teaspoon or a tablespoon.

How to cook:

for cooking classic puree it is necessary to peel the potatoes, put in a saucepan and pour into it cold water to cover it completely. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. After that, the fire should be reduced and boiled until the potatoes are ready - about half an hour - an hour. For puree, this is not essential - the more, the better. However, remember that the more potatoes are cooked, the less useful substances retains in itself. Make sure the water doesn't boil too much.

When the potato is ready (which can be checked by pricking it with a knife - the knife enters the finished potato easily), remove the pan from the heat, drain the water and salt the dish. After that, you can add butter, cover the pan with a lid and wait until it melts (this is not long - 2 - 5 minutes).

After that, you can proceed to the most responsible - the direct transformation of potatoes into mashed potatoes. Which pusher to choose? Give preference to the one that you like best, because any dish should be filled with only positive emotions of the cook. You can choose a regular wooden one - a great option for lovers of everything natural. If you want - take a special metal with holes - best option for beginner cooks. You can also use household appliances.

When the potatoes are completely crushed, you can add milk. Remember that it must first be brought to a boil! If the milk is cold, your puree will turn an unpleasant gray color. Add milk gradually, little by little - and knead the mass well. Focus on your personal preferences - if you decide that the puree has reached the desired thickness - do not add more milk.

If you are far from a novice cook and want to make a special puree and enjoy new taste sensations, try the recipes below.

Delicious mashed potatoes with onions

Onions go well with potatoes, perhaps one of the best flavor duos. In order to cook delicious puree with onions, use the following tips.

Ingredients to create it:

• potatoes - 10 pieces;
• butter - 50 - 100 grams;
• milk - ½ cup;
• salt - a teaspoon or a tablespoon;
• onions - 2 pieces;

How to cook:

mashed potatoes according to this recipe should be prepared as usual. The only difference is that less milk is added here, or you can do without it at all - it all depends on how much oil in which the onion was fried will be added to the potatoes.

Onions should be peeled, finely chopped and fried, and best of all - in butter. When the puree is crushed, add the fried onion to it and knead.

Delicious mashed potatoes with meat, onions and mushrooms

A perfect combination of mashed potatoes with onions, mushrooms and meat. Moreover, anything your heart desires can act as meat - bacon, sausage, sausages, pork, beef, chicken, and so on. The combination of mashed potatoes with onion-fried cracklings is usually served with sour soup. However, you can eat this dish without additions - it is surprisingly tasty.

Ingredients to create it:

• potatoes - 10 pieces;
• butter - 50 - 100 grams;
• milk - ½ cup;
• salt - a teaspoon;
• meat - 200 - 300 grams;
• mushrooms - 100 - 200 grams;
• onions - 2 pieces;
• vegetable or creamy little for frying.

How to cook:

cut the meat into small pieces and fry in a pan, adding vegetable or butter if necessary. Peel the onion, finely chop and add to the meat. Mushrooms chop and fry until tender, mix with onions and meat. Put out everything on small fire under the lid. When the potatoes are crushed, add the fried mushrooms, onions and meat to it and knead.

Puree with cheese - a tasty and pleasant variety

Ingredients to create it:

• potatoes - 10 pieces;
• butter - 50 - 100 grams;
• hard cheese - 100 - 200 grams;
• milk - 1 glass;
• salt - a teaspoon.

How to cook:

make puree like classic version. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater and add to the hot puree, mix well, cover the pan with a lid and leave the cheese to melt for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Healthy and tasty puree for kids

Ingredients to create it:

• potatoes - 10 pieces;
• vegetables at will (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin);
• butter - 50 - 100 grams;
• milk - 1 glass;
• salt - a teaspoon.

How to cook:

make a puree like in classic recipe. Use vegetables that your child likes. Carrots should be boiled initially, zucchini should be stewed, pumpkin should be baked in the oven in foil, then chopped with a blender and added to the puree.

Beautiful and tasty puree - how to give it a shade

In order to prepare puree of a special shade, use the products suitable for this:

• red puree will turn out if you add boiled and chopped beets with a blender;
• pumpkin and carrots will add an orange color to the puree;
• green puree will turn out if you add parsley boiled in milk and chopped in a blender.

Spicy mashed potatoes - special flavors when seasoned

In order to give your puree not only a special color, but also an amazing spicy taste- add your favorite seasonings to it. Which of the existing ones are most suitable for mashed potatoes?

• Grated nutmeg;
• grainy mustard;
• cardamom;
• garlic;
• paprika;
• tarragon;
• sage;
• sesame;
• mint.

Secrets of making delicious puree

• for mashed potatoes it is better to use old potatoes, from young ones good food will not work;
• milk used in the preparation of mashed potatoes can be replaced with any other liquid: broth left over from cooking potatoes, sour cream, water or cream (especially delicious!);
• if you add whipped puree egg white- it will become airy, and if the beaten egg is whole, then the puree will resemble a delicate cream in consistency.

Add special ingredients and create your own new flavors of mashed potatoes, because with a special subtle taste, it can be compatible with most products.

Mashed potatoes are a favorite side dish for millions of people. With meat, with fish, with chicken, with vegetables - no matter what you serve it with, it will always be delicious.

I have met very few people who would not like such dishes. And not one who didn't like mashed potatoes.

And it would seem something easier to do than to cook such a puree. But no, different housewives get different mashed potatoes.

It seems that the ingredients are the same for everyone, but the puree is different. Someone has a pleasant yellow color, airy and lush, while someone has a dull, sticky with gray lumps.

And sometimes you hear at a party at the table: “Oh, what an airy puree, delicious! And how do you do that?" So not everyone knows how to cook it so tasty. And some are embarrassed to ask. It would seem that everyone should be able to cook it.

And what about young hostesses who are just learning the basics of cooking? They need to learn all the more. And the simplest first. I myself did not immediately learn, but I was just ashamed to ask. But now my puree always turns out well. "Tender - airy, tasty - delicious!"

Mashed potatoes with milk, egg, milk and cream

We will need:

• potatoes 1 kg.
• milk 2/3 cup
• cream 2/3 cup
• butter 82% 100 gr.
• egg 1 pc.
• Bay leaf

Cooking:

1. To prepare a dish with a yellowish tint, I usually take red varieties of vegetables. When cooking, it does not fall apart, which means that it evenly absorbs salt and does not become watery.

In addition, the color also attracts me. Such a product, as a rule, does not give a gray tint to the finished dish. Even if you eat it on the second day.

2. We clean the vegetable and cut it into 4 parts. In this case, it cooks quickly and evenly. If you cut into medium-sized cubes, the puree will turn out watery. If you cook it whole, then the top part will cook faster, and the middle longer. And depending on its variety, a different result can be obtained.

If it is very soft, then the top layer can fall off into the water, while the middle remains raw.

3. Put the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bpieces into a saucepan and fill with water. There is no need to pour a lot of water, it is enough that they are covered with water by 2-3 centimeters. During cooking, the vegetable gives its juices to the water, and itself is already cooked in water and in its juice.

Taste the finished broth after draining the water. It is very tasty, it is pleasant to drink it both cold and hot. (By the way, if I know that I will cook a soup or a second course on the same day, I never pour out this broth. After the meat is almost ready, I add the broth to the soup that is being prepared. Both the soup and the second course it only gets tastier).

4. Put the pan on the fire, let it boil, salt, taste. Salt should not be too much and not too little. The statement that you need to add more salt is incorrect, because the potatoes are large until they are boiled so that the salt reaches the middle. She will take as much salt as she needs.

In extreme cases, you can always add salt later. When it boils, turn off the gas, the water should not boil much, but it does not need to simply languish without boiling. The water should be fun, but not at all intensely gurgling.

4. It is important not to overcook the potatoes, and not overcook them. It depends on the taste and texture. In the first case, it is important that it is cooked, but retains its juices, does not boil much.

In the second case, if it is not cooked, you will not be able to knead it to the end. The mass will certainly be with lumps. Use a small sharp knife to test doneness. At fully prepared, the knife easily passes into the middle without encountering obstacles. Why is it not recommended to check the readiness with a fork. The reason is simple, to keep the pieces intact.

5. The vegetable will cook for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the variety.

Approximately 5-7 minutes before readiness, throw a bay leaf into the pan. There is an opinion that it is not necessary to close the pan during cooking. I always close, firstly, so the product cooks faster, and secondly, the edges and the middle are boiled at the same time.

6. When the vegetable is ready, drain all the water. Do not pour out the broth yet. Pour into a plate or bowl half a glass to cool. Remove bay leaf. Leave the product with the lid closed for 3-4 minutes, let it “rest” a little.

During this time, prepare the butter, milk, cream and 1 egg so that everything is at hand. And also a pusher to crush potatoes.

7. Heat milk and cream, about 2/3 cup each, but not until hot, so that it is a little warm. And do not boil, just let it warm up.

It is not necessary to pour in hot, so that our puree does not become sticky. Do not pour in the cold either, the puree may turn gray.

Oil at will, someone also warms up. I take it out in advance to lie down and become at room temperature and cut into very small pieces.

8. That's it, the product has "rested" and prepared to become delicious side dish. To do this, add all the available oil to it, and begin to crush. When it is already well crushed, and there are no visible lumps, we begin to slowly introduce milk and cream.

We don’t pour everything at once, we poured in a little, crushed it - then you can still pour it in. It is important for us to achieve the desired consistency so that the product is neither solid nor liquid. Therefore, pouring out all the cooked milk and cream is not necessary.

9. Continuing to mix and “push” the lumps, add a little cooled broth, it has been saturated with delicious vegetable juice, smell bay leaf- Let's not forget that.

And now you can try whether the side dish is salty enough. If you think you want it saltier, then add salt to your liking.

10. When we have achieved the desired consistency, we take a large spoon, and start beating the resulting mass, or you can continue to beat with a crush. But with a spoon, scrape off the bottom corners of the pan, lumps may be hiding there.

To puree became airy and tender, you need to try. But I do not recommend using a mixer in this process. Puree will turn out like a powder. It will be sticky and tasteless. So, be patient and beat.

11. When you see that the puree has become homogeneous, lush, you need to remember to take the last important step. You need to add an egg. And start mixing again. The puree will slightly change its consistency, become homogeneous and elastic. That's all! I hope everything worked out for you!

And finally, I want to give one more piece of advice - universal for all dishes. Start cooking any dish, only with a good mood, only with good thoughts. After all, we all know that thoughts are material. So let your loved ones, for whom you prepared delicious mashed potatoes today, feel your love. And then any, even the simplest dish will be a cure for all diseases and hardships.

Bon appetit!