Post by kickingfrog on Feb 16, 2011 18:13:05 GMT
Monster mash
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
The Guardian, Saturday 22 November 2008
Creating perfect, light and fluffy mash is easy.
Put peeled potatoes ... in a pan with enough cold water to cover them by about 4cm, throw in some salt, cover and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and cook, partially covered, at a good simmer until a knife pierces them without resistance.
Drain, leave them to steam off in the colander for a couple of minutes, and return to the warm pan.
Now mash them, or pass them through a mouli or potato ricer, if you have the equipment and the patience. (And, whatever you do, don't put them in a food processor, unless you're planning on a spot of light wallpapering after lunch.)
Next, for a kilo of potatoes, beat in about 100g of butter and 200ml of hot milk (or 100ml each of cream and milk). Finally, season well with salt, pepper and perhaps a grind of nutmeg.
It's important that the milk is hot, and not just because you don't want to eat tepid mash. Cold milk reacts with the starch in potatoes and makes the mash gluey, and that's not what we're after at all.
We want fluffy perfection. Proper mash. So good it could bring a tear to a robot's eye, and make him redesign his left forcep as a potato peeler.
…things to add to mash
· Try a mixture of two-thirds potatoes and one-third swede, to go with any good roast - particularly venison and game - and a nice rich gravy.
· Cheddar, chopped chives and spring onion, to go with sausages or to layer on top of a shepherd's pie.
· Add a few unpeeled cloves of garlic to the potatoes' boiling water, then peel, crush and beat into the potatoes, to go with almost anything.
· A couple of tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, and perhaps some cooked turnip, to go with roast beef.
· A handful of sliced and gently caramelised shallots and a large peeled, cored and cooked Bramley apple, to go with roast pork
· Some well-cooked Jerusalem artichokes and a few grinds of nutmeg, to go with roast lamb.
· While warming the milk, infuse it with a bay leaf and the finely grated zest of a lemon before adding to the mashed potatoes, to go with fried or grilled lemon sole, flounder or plaice.
· Some finely chopped spring onion and soft goat's cheese, to go with roast chicken.
· Some finely chopped and gently sautéed leek and fennel, to go with lamb, chicken or a pot roast.
· A spoonful or two of wholegrain mustard and lots of chopped parsley, to go with gammon.
· Some grated Cheddar cheese and roasted, chopped poblano chillies, to go with steak.
************
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
The Guardian, Saturday 22 November 2008
Creating perfect, light and fluffy mash is easy.
Put peeled potatoes ... in a pan with enough cold water to cover them by about 4cm, throw in some salt, cover and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and cook, partially covered, at a good simmer until a knife pierces them without resistance.
Drain, leave them to steam off in the colander for a couple of minutes, and return to the warm pan.
Now mash them, or pass them through a mouli or potato ricer, if you have the equipment and the patience. (And, whatever you do, don't put them in a food processor, unless you're planning on a spot of light wallpapering after lunch.)
Next, for a kilo of potatoes, beat in about 100g of butter and 200ml of hot milk (or 100ml each of cream and milk). Finally, season well with salt, pepper and perhaps a grind of nutmeg.
It's important that the milk is hot, and not just because you don't want to eat tepid mash. Cold milk reacts with the starch in potatoes and makes the mash gluey, and that's not what we're after at all.
We want fluffy perfection. Proper mash. So good it could bring a tear to a robot's eye, and make him redesign his left forcep as a potato peeler.
…things to add to mash
· Try a mixture of two-thirds potatoes and one-third swede, to go with any good roast - particularly venison and game - and a nice rich gravy.
· Cheddar, chopped chives and spring onion, to go with sausages or to layer on top of a shepherd's pie.
· Add a few unpeeled cloves of garlic to the potatoes' boiling water, then peel, crush and beat into the potatoes, to go with almost anything.
· A couple of tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, and perhaps some cooked turnip, to go with roast beef.
· A handful of sliced and gently caramelised shallots and a large peeled, cored and cooked Bramley apple, to go with roast pork
· Some well-cooked Jerusalem artichokes and a few grinds of nutmeg, to go with roast lamb.
· While warming the milk, infuse it with a bay leaf and the finely grated zest of a lemon before adding to the mashed potatoes, to go with fried or grilled lemon sole, flounder or plaice.
· Some finely chopped spring onion and soft goat's cheese, to go with roast chicken.
· Some finely chopped and gently sautéed leek and fennel, to go with lamb, chicken or a pot roast.
· A spoonful or two of wholegrain mustard and lots of chopped parsley, to go with gammon.
· Some grated Cheddar cheese and roasted, chopped poblano chillies, to go with steak.
************