Mashed potato
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Mashed potato or mashed potatoes is a common way of serving potato in many countries worldwide. It is made by mashing boiled potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) with a potato ricer, fork or similar device. Other ingredients such as milk, cream, butter, vegetable oil, garlic, cheese, bacon bits or sour cream are often added to enrich the mash. A French variation adds egg yolk for Pommes duchesse that is piped through a pastry tube into wavy ribbons and rosettes, brushed with butter and lightly browned.
The texture of a potato is what determines its cooking method. Potatoes can be divided into two categories: waxy and floury. Waxy or new potatoes are harvested early in spring/early summer. Floury or main crop potatoes are those harvested towards the end of summer/autumn. The ideal potatoes for mashing should be floury as this prevents the texture from becoming gluey. If adding milk, warm milk should be used as cold milk will cause the starch in the potatoes to set resulting in a gluey texture.[1] Personal preference determines whether mashed potatoes are best lumpy or smooth, or with or without skin.
Mashed potato is an ingredient of various other dishes, including Shepherds' pie, Pierogies, Colcannon and potato croquettes.
In addition to butter, cream, or milk, mashed potato may also be seasoned with salt, pepper (often white pepper, to blend in), and/or a dash of nutmeg. Other spices or chopped herbs, such as parsley may be added for more flavor. White turnip, garlic and wasabi are additional options, and gravy is a common topping, being spooned into a hollow called a 'tater crater'. In low-calorie recipes that forego the addition of milk, cream, or butter/margarine; soup stock or broth can be used as flavoring. Many countries have English-style shops that sell pie and mash and bangers and mash.
Dehydrated instant mashed potato mixes are also available, as well as frozen varieties.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Susan Spaul and Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, Leiths Techniques Bible, ISBN 0747560463
- ^ Holly Jones with Alan Wilson, The Book of Organic Potatoes, ISBN 0-9540631-0-4
- ^ Susan Spaul and Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, "Leiths Techniques Bible", ISBN 0-7475604-6-3
