The Joys of Mashed Potato

Mash: a soft mass made by crushing a substance into a pulp.


Nigel Slater dreams of burying his head in it so what is it that makes mashed potato such ambrosia? Of course, you are not limited to just mashing potatoes either and so the GWG Food Team have scoured their book shelves and scraped their palates to find you some interesting alternatives.

The prerequisites for a good mash
You need a good floury potato, which produces a fluffy mass. They have a low moisture and sugar content and are high in starch. There are many varieties that are good: Cara, Desiree, Golden Wonder, Kerr's Pink and King Edwards, Maris Bard, Romano, Pentland Squire and Wilja.

To cook
Mrs. Beeton used to boil potatoes in their skins, allowing them to dry before peeling and then mashing, adding milk and butter. The advice proffered nowadays would be to peel first so that the potato can shed some of the insecticides. After draining the potatoes, it is worth allowing them to dry out in the saucepan with a lid on prior to mashing. It is easier to mash the potatoes when hot.

Bright ideas with potatoes

Add mustard, crème fraîche and parsley. Good with fish.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall suggests saffron and garlic mash with fish, such as mackerel, red mullet and bass. Smash four cloves of garlic to a paste with salt, fry gently to colour. Add some milk and a dozen strands of saffron. Heat until not quite boiling; leave to infuse for 30 to 40 minutes then add to mashed potato.

Frances Bissell likes potato and cauliflower mash. Boil cauliflower until tender. Mash the potatoes with olive oil, butter and milk or simply use some cooking water. Purée the cauliflower and then fold into the mash. Add freshly grated nutmeg.

Henrietta Green, of Farmers' Markets fame, suggests swede and horseradish mash. Use equal quantities of swede and potato. Boil separately until soft. Mash, adding butter and creamed horseradish to taste.

Jamie Oliver is partial to a rich mash with Parmesan and truffle oil. Or try whizzing half a can (300g) of black olives in a food processor and roughly chopping the rest and beating them into mashed potatoes. You can also add a few tablespoons of olive oil.

An Irish country dish of 1750 suggests mashing potatoes and parsnips. Add lightly cooked cabbage, cut into very small pieces. This is similar to colcannon.

Add roughly chopped walnuts and walnut oil to mashed potato. This is particularly good with venison or a rich beef casserole.

Madhur Jaffrey has devised an Indian version of mashed potato, which she calls mash aloo. You can find the full version of this recipe in Madhur's Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cookery, published by Ebury Press.

Make ordinary mash from about 1kg of potatoes. Add one fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped, 3 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves, one teaspoon garam masala and a pinch of chilli powder. Stir in 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice and season with salt.

Shallot and horseradish mash. Add some finely chopped shallot, which has been fried until golden, to mashed potato. Add some freshly grated horseradish. Perfect with roast beef.

The Alternatives

Mash does not have to be confined to potatoes alone and you could try some of the following suggestions, which are perhaps more purée than mash. You will need to embellish these with butter, milk, cream, crème fraîche. Use your judgement as to what works best for you.

Celeriac and apple. This is excellent with pheasant and other game birds. Season with nutmeg.

Roast pumpkin and pear. Roast the pumpkin in its skin, until tender. Scoop out the flesh and mash with cooked pears.

Roast squash and ginger. Roast squash for one hour, until skin is wrinkled. Peel and mash adding butter and grated ginger.

Or for a cheesey alternative, add butter, some grated Gruyère, Parmesan or Cheddar and two tablespoons of crème fraîche.

Purée pumpkin or squash and puréed beetroot. Serve the two side by side: the contrast of colour is marvellous. Good with guinea fowl.

Try mashed sweet potato with rosemary and garlic au Peter Gordon.

In Stephen Bull's book, Classic Bull, you will find chickpea and walnut purée. Cook chickpeas in water (use dried, soaked overnight) by simmering with a carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley and lemon peel for 45 minutes. Drain, keeping the liquor for soup. Remove the vegetables and lemon. Toast the walnuts under grill. Liquidise the chickpeas and nuts, adding reserved juice and butter until desired consistency. Delicious with lamb.

This could lead one to making a quick fix with mashed potatoes, hummus and chopped walnuts. Try it and see.