The perfect mashed potatoes?

medtran49 said:
According to a lot of chefs, you have to have a tamis to make the perfect mash and I doubt many of us have one. 🙄
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I reckon there are two different things - chefy creamed potatoes which need a tamis and mashed potatoes which are not 'creamy', but stand up on the plate. Of course there is also rustic mash or crushed potatoes.
 
morning glory said:
I reckon there are two different things - chefy creamed potatoes which need a tamis and mashed potatoes which are not 'creamy', but stand up on the plate.
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I'm more partial to the latter. Although I have been known to enjoy duchess potatoes in the past.

This is the "consistency" that I prefer, albeit in this image the potatoes are mashed with cheese and onion (and a little tomato puree).

39909
 
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Michelin starred chef Joël Robuchon who died in 2018 is reputed to have made the ultimate mashed potato:

It was the recipe that made Joël Robuchon, the Michelin-starred “chef of the century” who has died aged 73, famous and everyone else fat. There are several versions, with the restaurant’s famously consisting of a 2:1 potato to butter ratio. However, the British chef Tom Aikens – who worked for Robuchon in the early 90s – described how it took two hours and every ounce of the chef’s elbow grease to make, and included more butter than spud.
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His recipe from the Complete Robouchon states:

For successful mashed potatoes, salt the cooking water when it is still cold and salt the finished purée carefully. If you can, use a food mill or potato ricer instead of a blender or food processor. When the potato has gone through the ricer, put it in a saucepan over a medium heat and turn it vigorously with a wooden spatula to dry it out a bit. Stir in the butter first and the whole milk later. Finish mixing with a whisk for a lighter purée.
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Ingredients listed are:
1 kg potatoes, preferably rattes or BF 15, scrubbed but unpeeled
Coarse salt
250 g butter, diced and kept well chilled until use
250 ml whole milk
Salt and pepper
 
morning glory said:
Michelin starred chef Joël Robuchon who died in 2018 is reputed to have made the ultimate mashed potato:

250 g butter, diced and kept well chilled until use
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Bejasus, I don't use that much butter in a kilo of butter chicken!

No wonder he died.
 
I use cream and butter or evaporated milk straight up and butter. I personally like the taste evaporated milk gives to the potatoes. Chef Paul Prudhomme was the first time I'd seen evap milk used.

I like just about any type of potatoes, except over-baked ones or baked ones that aren't fresh out of the oven. Can't stand leftover bakers. I've even been known to eat a raw piece or 2 when I'm cutting them up.
 
The Velvet Curtain said:
Baked potato mash gives a wonderful flavour but takes an age to make. It involves baking spuds, scooping out the flesh then putting the skins in a pan with milk and warming it through to infuse the flavour before using the strained milk to complete the mash with butter and seasoning.
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I never put the skins in a pan. Just scoop out the flesh, mash it all up with other stuff (cheese, onion, garlic, chillis, milk, butter (but not ¼ kg), etc.) and then return it into the skins. Some time ago, I did try deep frying the skins prior to refilling but don't bother with that now.

[Edit: Am I now reading it correctly that you discard the skins?]
 
Yorky said:
Bejasus, I don't use that much butter in a kilo of butter chicken!

No wonder he died.
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Uh oh...I probably use more butter than that. As a result, I don't have to use much cream, though. So there's that. :laugh:

medtran49 said:
I've even been known to eat a raw piece or 2 when I'm cutting them up.
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Growing up, we always ate raw potatoes, like a snack food, just a bit of salt. I've never understood why some people think that's strange. Common as muck around here.

My wife loves raw potato as much as cooked, and whenever I'm making potatoes, I have to leave a couple of big slices out for her to munch on. When she has an upset stomach, her go-to home remedy is raw potato.

As to "perfect" mashed potatoes, there are probably as many definitions of that as there are people. I, for one, like very, very lumpy mashed potatoes. I like the difference in texture. Most people would probably taste them, smile politely, then talk about them behind my back! :)
 
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Yorky said:
I never put the skins in a pan. Just scoop out the flesh, mash it all up with other stuff (cheese, onion, garlic, chillis, milk, butter (but not ¼ kg), etc.) and then return it into the skins. Some time ago, I did try deep frying the skins prior to refilling but don't bother with that now.

[Edit: Am I now reading it correctly that you discard the skins?]
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Yes, discard the skins once you've got the roasted flavour in the milk.
 
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