Mashed Potatoes - General Cooking Principles
Potatoes - a universal product that is known throughout the world. It is fried, boiled, baked, deep-fried, filled with pies. Mashed potatoes are nourishing, tasty and useful side dish. It is not difficult to do it, and therefore in many families, where the housewives are lazy to cook a variety of products, mashed potatoes are eaten almost every day. If you like this dish, then know that its taste can be diversified with additional products, having changed almost beyond recognition.
Mashed potatoes - preparing food and tableware
In order to cook mashed potatoes, even unusual, the preparation of the main product is standard. Wash the potatoes under running water, remove the skin with a knife, cut into 2-3 pieces and put on the stove to boil, filling the pan with water.
Potatoes boil for about 15-20 minutes depending on the variety. To find out if he is ready, pierce him with a toothpick - the wand should go in gently. Do not overcook the potatoes, otherwise the puree will not be homogeneous, but with lumps.
An important tip is to use clean drinking water to boil potatoes. Then the liquid in which the potatoes are boiled, you will dilute the mashed potatoes, making it more rare.
How to turn boiled potatoes into mashed potatoes? It is best to use a wooden pestle or tolkushku - this object made of natural material will not give any foreign tastes or smells to the hot potato. You can also chop some chilled potatoes with a blender or mixer.
Mashed potatoes recipes:
Recipe 1: Mashed potatoes
The presented recipe is the simplest and most common, without any frills. Such mashed potatoes will be tasty served with meat products, watering with gravy or adding a little butter. Such potatoes can be seasoned with ground pepper, dried basil or chopped greens.
Ingredients Required:
- Potato 4-5 medium-sized root crops
- Water for potatoes
- Condiments
- Butter
Preparation Method:
- Peel and chopped potatoes, pour in water in a saucepan and boil on the stove. After the water boils, salt water. Boil the potatoes need about 15-20 minutes on low heat with the lid closed.
- When the potatoes are soft, drain some of the water where it is boiled in a cup and pour the rest. Begin to mash potatoes with tolkushkoy, turning it into mashed potatoes. Add a little liquid, making mashed potatoes more rare.
- When you see that the mashed potatoes have acquired the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and spices to it, mix.
Recipe 2: “Paprichnaya” Mashed Potatoes
A small amount of bell pepper in the recipe will change the taste of mashed potatoes, as well as give the dish a pleasant pinkish hue. From spices perfectly suited thyme and basil.
Ingredients Required:
- Potatoes of average size 4-5 pieces
- Bulgarian pepper 1 piece
- Water for purees
- Butter
- Ketchup with Bulgarian pepper 100 ml
- Thyme
- Salt
Preparation Method:
- Peeled and chopped potatoes should be filled with water and put on the stove. After the water boils, salt the potatoes.
- Wash Bulgarian pepper, remove the middle part and cut it into pieces. Add it to the pan to the potatoes ten minutes after boiling water.
- After 8-10 minutes, remove the peppers and potatoes from the stove, pour some liquid into a cup, and pour out the rest. Knead potato mash, turning it into a mashed potatoes. Add a little liquid and ketchup, making mashed potatoes more rare. If you use spicy ketchup, then mashed potatoes will get a piquant taste.
- When you see that the paprika mashed potatoes become the desired consistency, add a piece of butter and thyme leaves to it, mix.
Recipe 3: Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Tomatoes
Such a dish will resemble familiar potatoes very remotely, only gentle taste and texture will be preserved. Such mashed potatoes are cooked in Italian restaurants and most often served with fish. Ingredients Required:
- Potato 5-6 pieces
- Tomatoes 2 pieces of medium size
- Creamy pasty cheese 100 grams
- Garlic 2 teeth
- White sesame 1 tablespoon
- Sunflower oil
- Butter
- Condiments
Preparation Method:
- Peeled and chopped potatoes should be filled with water and put on the stove. After the water boils, salt the potatoes and cook it until soft.
- While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the tomatoes. Wash, cut them as small as possible into cubes. With garlic, remove the husk and cut it into pieces. Heat the pan, grease with oil and first place the garlic, then the tomatoes. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame on the last minute.
- As soon as the potatoes are cooked, start kneading it, adding quite a bit of liquid, cream cheese, butter.
- Put the vegetables from the pan into the mashed potatoes, gently mix with a spoon and serve.
Recipe 4: Abkhazian Mashed Potatoes
Do not be alarmed when you see orange juice in the recipe - it will not spoil the taste of potatoes, but on the contrary, emphasize the overall softness and spiciness of the dish. Serve such mashed potatoes with roasted meats, especially with pork or lamb. Turmeric in the recipe will puree an unusual orange color, but you can not use it.
Ingredients Required:
- Potatoes 5-6 pieces
- Carrots 1 piece
- Water for purees
- Milk 100 ml
- Condiments
- Turmeric 1 tsp
- Orange Juice 50 ml
Preparation Method:
- Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes with water and place them on the stove. After the water boils, salt water. Boil the potatoes until soft.
- Wash carrots and cut into cubes. Add it to the pan 10 minutes after the water and potatoes boil.
- Remove the finished potatoes from the stove, drain the liquid and turn into mashed potatoes with the help of a crush. Add juice and milk gradually to puree. Milk should not be cold, but at room temperature. Add turmeric and butter, mix well and serve.
Recipe 5: French Mashed Potatoes
French mustard with grains will change the taste of mashed potatoes, and sour cream in the recipe will make the dish very juicy and satisfying. Instead of sour cream, you can also add heavy cream, heated to room temperature.
Ingredients Required:
- Potatoes 5-6 pieces
- Water for purees
- Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons
- Sour cream 100 ml (or heavy cream)
- Cedar Walnut
- Butter
- Condiments
Preparation Method:
- Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes with water and place them on the stove. After the water boils, salt water. Boil the potatoes until soft.
- While the potatoes are boiling, roast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for 4-5 minutes, and then chop.
- As soon as the potatoes are boiled, remove it from the stove, drain the liquid and knead using tolkushki. Gradually add sour cream, pine nuts and Dijon mustard, without ever stirring the mashed potatoes.
Recipe 6: Mashed potatoes with broccoli and greens
A dish of fragrant greens and broccoli cabbage will take you to the spring meadow at any time of the year.
Ingredients Required:
- Potatoes 5-6 pieces
- Water for purees
- Broccoli 200 grams
- Dill fresh
- Mint
- White Sesame
- Butter
- Condiments
Preparation Method:
- Pour the peeled and chopped potatoes with water and place them on the stove. After the water boils, salt water. Boil the potatoes until soft.
- Boil broccoli in a separate saucepan - about 5 minutes in boiling water.
- Cool the broccoli and chop it in a blender with dill, butter and parsley.
- As soon as the potatoes are boiled, remove it from the stove, drain some of the liquid into the cup and knead using tolkushki. Gradually add the liquid from the cup, broccoli puree, sesame. To make this puree more piquant, add a teaspoon of wasabi to it.
Mashed potatoes - secrets and tips from the best chefs
- One of the secrets of tasty mashed potatoes is thorough cleaning. It is not only about removing the skin, but also cutting out all the “eyes”, green and unripe spots. If such black and dense pieces fall into a puree, it will spoil the impression of a delicious dish.
- When you cut the potatoes apart before you start cooking them, do not try to chop them hard. It is believed that finely chopped potatoes lose more of their vitamins. Chopped tuber into three or four parts is the most correct number of pieces.
- Do not digest the potatoes, but do not leave them undercooked, otherwise the mashed potatoes will be heterogeneous, even if you chop them hard.
- To make the finished mashed potatoes more airy, beat it twice. The first time - the standard, with tolkushki or pistil. And when mashed potatoes cool a little, beat it with a mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- When you turn boiled potatoes into mashed potatoes, instead of liquid, where the potatoes are boiled, you can use meat broth or milk. Milk must be heated or at least room temperature.
- Mashed potatoes will be more nutritious and nutritious if you add egg yolk or not very fat cream to it.
- What spices can I add to mashed potatoes? In addition to the usual salt and pepper, use thyme, basil, saffron, fried onions, chopped greens.
