Mash Ups

[Belson]

So reading through some of the recent posts, I have been struck by the lack of foody chats that we haven't been having, so -

Here's your chance to share your mash making secrets.

The missus has referred to me as 'Lord Mash' in the past so, let me share my secrets -

* Peel and rough cut your tatties (no preference) and slightly overboil them.

* Drain the water completely.

* Take a standard dinner fork and begin to press the potatos.

* When you've got about a third pressed, add a scoop of butter and press the potatos again, until a tad lumpy.

* Add a small slurp of semi-skimmed milk, and fold (not press) the potatos until you start to have the consistancy of fluffy mash. Keep using the fork all the way through, y'hear!!

* Add two spoonfuls of creamed hot horseradish, and continue a whisking motion with the fork, until your mash is light and fluffy.

That, my friends, is yummy mash, which goes pukka with a big yorkie pud and pork and leek sossies, with a smidgeon of bisto.

Feel free to add your mash squirelly ingredients, or just make notes where applicable.

[sermad]

Mate its all ABOUT that tatties. King edwards I use. But I know me ma prefers desiree.

I like me mash to have peas in it. But then I am a bit wrong.

Great call on adding the horseradish in there. Lovely idea.

[Brainbomb]

A very nice spice to add flavor to mashed potatoes is nutmeg.
And if you have a perverted taste of beverages you can also use nutmeg in:
GIN FLIP
crack two eggs (yolk and white) into a shaker
add 4 teaspoons of floured sugar
add a good 8 centiliters of dry gin
add some icecubes

shake well

pour into a high glass (not the icecubes)
sprinkle the foam on top with nutmeg

drink with a straw so as not to get the nutmeg in your mouth, but you are forced to place your nose over the glass thus inhaling the aroma of the spice as you drink

[francis]

celeriac is a top mash addition. boil it in with the tayters, I think it does slightly quicker but it makes no difference really.

sweet potato and celeriac mash is jolly good too, and though its very tasty it can occasionally tend toward the watery, so I usually beef it up with some ordinary spuds too.

spring onions and cream is good too, fry the onions in butter first and then add the cream to them, then put it all in the mash when its done

mustard where Lord Mash would put horseradish is of course acceptable

But, sir, what about Toad in the Hole? Anyone have any tips? Problem: the pudding often seems to come out a bit sludgy in the centre, even though it rises perfectly and is good and light/ crisp etc. in general... Culinary advice needed. I have experimented with thinner and thicker batters, but it might be the quantity of batter rather than the quality...

[SARGE]

Y'all wanna be droppin some scallions (aka spring onions) on that with some funky mustard and prepare for the joy that mustard champ gonna bring you.
biff bang mash.

[wayne]

But, sir, what about Toad in the Hole? Anyone have any tips? Problem: the pudding often seems to come out a bit sludgy in the centre, even though it rises perfectly and is good and light/ crisp etc. in general... Culinary advice needed. I have experimented with thinner and thicker batters, but it might be the quantity of batter rather than the quality...

I find this is the sausage fat messing with your Yorkshire: the less fatty the sausage, the crisper the pudding in my experience. Using chipolatas, toulouse or some other less fatty variety cuts out a lot of the mushiness.

And chucking a few garlic cloves in with your spuds while they boil, then taking them out before mashing commences (with butter and milk, old school style) gives a nice flavouring. Nutmeg and black pepper are good, too. And a thick gravy made with crispy onions is essential.

[wooly]

Greg - your idea of adding hot creamed horseradish to the mash is a masterstroke. I will be trying that later in the week when it's my turn to serve up some home-made sausages and onion gravy (of which I've posted the details before).

My own mash secret comes from something the wife discovered. She's started using an industrial-strength Kitchenaid food mixer (with a creaming attachment) to do the mash with. The results are amazing. The website even recommends using them for mash - take a look:

http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/pr...&productId=348

Not all mixers can cut it when it comes to mashing spuds.

As for spuds - I always go for Maris Piper or King Ed's - they make the best mash.

[Rich Hero]

I'm with Wayne on the mash front - garlic. Although I do almost exactly the same as Lord Mash (apart from the peeling) and add a few cloves, pepper and a *pinch* of salt when he's adding the horseradish. I'll have to try that though. I also add in chopped thyme or chives.

[Blighty]

A word of advice, never put your potatoes in a blender to get the last of those annoying lumps out. Unless you want wallpaper paste.

[Martin Lovegrove]

I find nothing better than adding a shedload of Pesto in the m-m-mix!

[Sie Vulture]

A word of advice, never put your potatoes in a blender to get the last of those annoying lumps out. Unless you want wallpaper paste.

that's word! You end up with a gritty soup. 'orrible. !

... go easy on the pesto tho' - too green, too strong...

[Belson]

A word of advice, never put your potatoes in a blender to get the last of those annoying lumps out. Unless you want wallpaper paste.

Invaluable advice, Blighty. Once when I left the missus in charge of mash duties, she did infact use a blender - and potato 'custard' was the result.

Keep it real - fork it, and get with the elbow grease.

[sermad]

Im with Lord B. Keep it lumpy and not paste.

I once mashed about 2kg's of king edwards with a fork. yes just a fork. I had wrists like arnold schwarzenegger by the end of it.

[Belson]

Greg - your idea of adding hot creamed horseradish to the mash is a masterstroke. I will be trying that later in the week when it's my turn to serve up some home-made sausages and onion gravy (of which I've posted the details before).

I find Sainsburys do an excellent creamed, smooth hot horseradish that is quite pokey with its heat.

Two spoonfuls of that in enough mash for two, and jobs a good'un.

Obviously, ratio of horseradish to mash is dependant on your number of dining guests.

[Sie Vulture]

Obviously, ratio of horseradish to mash is dependant on your number of dining guests.

... t'is science, t'is science...