Mashed potatoes are the fastest side dish to prepare and are considered the most favorite among Slavic peoples. Even children know in words how to make mashed potatoes, but in practice and with experienced housewives it rarely comes out airy and creamy. Some blame the “wrong” potatoes, while others explain the failure by adding a small amount of milk. Indeed, there are many nuances in preparing this dish, but knowing them, you can pamper your family with a delicious side dish every day.

Stage 1. Select the products from which we will prepare puree

All of them are available and can be found in every kitchen. So, according to the recipe we take:

1. Potatoes, but not young ones, but those that were stored in the cellar for at least 1-2 months after digging. As for the variety, it is advisable to take starchy potato varieties for cooking. It’s easy to check whether a tuber is rich in starch: cut it into two halves and rub them against each other. If they are tightly held together, then the puree will come out great!
2. Butter with a fat content of at least 80%. This ingredient will give the finished dish a delicate creamy taste and creamy consistency.
3. Milk. Let’s make a reservation right away - you can do without it (for example, if you are afraid that the puree will quickly sour or want to reduce the calorie content of the side dish). In general, milk is added so that the mashed potatoes are not dry and there are no small grainy crumbs in it.
4. Egg white. French chefs always add it to mashed potato recipes to add airiness to the dish.

Now about the quantity of one or another ingredient.

Ingredients

• Potatoes – 1 kg. (6-8 medium sized tubers)
• Butter – 50-100 gr.
• Milk – 150 ml.
• Egg white – 1 pc.
• Salt to taste.

Stage 2. Cook the potatoes

1. Armed with a brush, we wash the tubers from the ground under running water. Remove the peel and use the edge of a knife to cut out the eyes and damaged areas. Cut the potatoes into halves or even quarters and place them in already boiling water. A few words about the amount of water: if you cook according to the classic recipe, then it should only cover the potatoes.
2. We turn the heat to low, close the pan with a lid and cook the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, but it is better to focus not on meager numbers (after all, each variety has its own cooking time), but on the condition of the potatoes: if a knife/fork fits easily into it, then the water can be drained . Yes, almost finished potatoes need to be salted.

Stage 3. Pound and beat mashed potatoes

Stage 4. Serve fluffy mashed potatoes.

Place a pile of puree on a plate (for example, like in our photo), make a depression in the center and place it in a piece of butter. If desired, you can sprinkle the side dish with chopped herbs.

You can also prepare holiday mashed potatoes according to the basic recipe, but you will have to decorate it in a special way. We will offer only two options: turn a pile of puree into a volcano (fiery lava can easily be replaced by tomato sauce), or make a “cobweb” and place a miniature spider on it.

The above puree recipe is a classic one, but even based on it you can make a side dish that is original in appearance. So, you can stew spinach until soft, then grind it in a blender and add it during cooking - the puree will come out bright green. The air mass will be orange if you cook and beat the potatoes with carrots, and pink if you add beet juice. Men will like mashed potatoes with cracklings and fried onions, bacon, mushrooms or mustard. Gourmets should try making mashed potatoes according to a French or Italian recipe. According to them, grated nutmeg (French version), or tomatoes, olive oil, tomatoes and Ricotta cheese are added to the whipped mass.

Many experienced housewives will feel that this article is not for them. What could be so difficult about making mashed potatoes? Grated potatoes with milk or butter. It seems that everything is so simple and easy. However, it is not.

Even such a simple dish as mashed potatoes has its own secrets in preparation. It is imperative to follow all the cooking technology so that the end result is a fluffy and tender puree. So, how and with what can you prepare this dish.

Let's look at the recipes for preparing this treat.

How to properly mash potatoes with milk

How to cook:

Peel the skin from the potatoes and remove all eyes and spots. Then it needs to be cut into medium slices;

Place the potatoes in a metal container, add water, add salt and cook until tender. You can check readiness with a fork or the tip of a knife. The tip should fit freely into the potato;

The milk is slightly warmed;

After this, we begin to mash the potatoes with a potato masher and gradually pour in warm milk;

Then add butter to the puree and mix.

Cooking mashed potatoes with onions

• 1 kilogram of potatoes;
• 2 onions;
• Butter – 50 grams;
• Salt - 1/5 teaspoon;
• One and a half glasses of milk;
• Vegetable oil.

Preparation:

1. Peel the skin from the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Place in cold water to prevent it from darkening;
2. Next, put it in a metal container, add water, add salt and cook until tender;
3. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the onions. To do this, the bulbs should be peeled and chopped into strips;
4. Next, the onion should be fried in vegetable oil for 5-10 minutes;
5. As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain the water;
6. While it is hot, you need to mash it with a masher or pass it through a special press with a fine mesh;
7. Then add butter to the puree and mix;
8. The milk should be heated;
9. Pour hot milk into the puree and mix. You can use cream instead of milk;
10. You can put the onion directly into the puree and stir. It can also be served separately when serving the puree, so that everyone can adjust the amount in the puree.

Delicious French mashed potatoes

Components you will need:

• 1 kilogram of potatoes;
• Sour cream or cream – 200 ml;
• Butter – 50 grams;
• 2 grams of nutmeg;
• Salt and ground black pepper.

Preparation:

1. The tubers should be thoroughly washed and dried;
2. Next, make envelopes from baking paper. To do this, cut two sheets and fold them in half;
3. Then put 5 potatoes in one half and cover with the other half. We wrap all the edges tightly;
4. Fold the rest of the potatoes in the same way;
5. After this, place the envelopes on a baking sheet;
6. The oven heats up to 220 degrees. Place a baking sheet with envelopes there and leave to bake for an hour;
7. Take out the finished potatoes, cool and peel them;
8. Next, put it in a deep bowl and mash it with a masher until you get a puree;
9. Then melt a little butter in a glass bowl, add salt, pepper and nutmeg to it. Mix the whole mixture thoroughly;
10. Pour the mixture over the puree and mix;
11. Place the entire resulting mass on a baking sheet, pour in sour cream or cream and place in the oven;
12. The puree is baked for about 15 minutes.

Tender mashed potatoes without milk with broccoli in a slow cooker

Components you will need:

• A kilogram of potatoes;
• 300 ml boiled water;
• Broccoli – 2 pieces;
• Butter – 60 grams;
• Chicken egg – 1 piece;
• Hard cheese – 70 grams;
• Parsley – 1 bunch;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• Ground black pepper - a pinch;
• Salt;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
• Coriander, saffron - to taste.

Preparation:

1. The tubers are peeled, washed and placed in cold water so that they do not turn black;
2. Broccoli is washed and cut into medium pieces;
3. Then the garlic cloves need to be peeled and rubbed with a fine grater or squeezed through a press;
4. Mix garlic with vegetable oil. We also add ground pepper, coriander and saffron;
5. A piece of cheese is rubbed with a grater;
6. Next, put the water on gas and add the butter. Heat and cook until the butter is completely dissolved;
7. After this, place the peeled tubers in the multicooker cup; for convenience, they can be cut into two parts. We also put broccoli there;
8. Fill with water so that it covers the top of the vegetables and add some salt. Turn on the stew mode and cook for 30 minutes;
9. After this, drain some water and add a mixture of oil, garlic and spices;
10. Then add the cheese and add water and butter;
11. Simmer for another 10 minutes;
12. After this, all ingredients should be crushed to an airy puree;
13. A bunch of greens should be finely chopped and sprinkled with puree.

Recipe for colored mashed potatoes for children

Ingredients you will need:

• 200 grams of beets with a rich burgundy color;
• Potatoes – 1 kg;
• 250 ml milk;
• A little vanilla;
• Butter - 50 grams;
• A pinch of chili;
• Salt.

Preparation:

1. Potato tubers and beets should be thoroughly washed with water. Next, the vegetables are peeled;
2. Cut the peeled potatoes into quarters and place them in a metal container. Fill with water, add some salt and boil for half an hour;
3. The beets should be cut into medium pieces, placed in a container, pour water, add salt and cook until tender for an hour;
4. Next, place the prepared vegetables in a deep cup and mash with a masher;
5. Put the milk on the fire, add butter, vanillin and chili. Heat to a boil and cook until the oil is completely dissolved;
6. Then pour the milk mixture with spices into the puree and mash again with a masher. The mass should be airy, tender and without lumps;
7. The finished puree can be salted if necessary.

Puree recipes

Well, we’ve learned how to make this dish correctly, but what can you make from mashed potatoes, what dish? Let's look at the options.

Mashed potato casserole with minced meat

Products for casserole:

• 600 grams of potatoes;
• 300 grams of minced meat;
• One onion;
• Chicken eggs – 2 pieces;
• Sour cream or cream – 100 ml;
• Ground coriander – ½ teaspoon;
• Vegetable oil;
• Salt and ground black pepper.

Preparation:

1. The tubers should be peeled and boiled in water with salt until tender;
2. Peeled onion is chopped into small pieces;
3. Place a frying pan on the fire, pour in vegetable oil and heat it up. Place minced meat and onion pieces in hot oil. Fry everything until cooked, you also need to add a pinch of coriander;
4. Boiled potatoes can be placed in a blender cup, add sour cream and beat the airy puree;
5. Then break the eggs and separate the whites and yolks;
6. In a separate bowl, beat the whites until foamy;
7. Place the potato mixture in a deep bowl, add egg yolks and beat;
8. After this, pour the protein mixture into the mixture. The mixture must be mixed carefully so that it does not lose its shape;
9. Next, grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil and place a layer of potato mixture on it;
10. Then place the minced meat and onions in a layer on top of the puree;
11. Finally, cover the top with the potato mixture;
12. Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 220 degrees and bake for half an hour.

Potato cutlets

The following components will be required:

• Potatoes – 1 kg;
• 100 grams of flour;
• One egg;
• A pinch of curry;
• Vegetable oil;
• Some breadcrumbs;
• Salt.

Preparation:

1. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water until tender;
2. Mash it with a masher or in a blender until smooth;
3. Next, add flour, curry and chicken egg. Mix well;
4. Make small cutlets from mashed potatoes and roll them in breadcrumbs;
5. Fry the cutlets in vegetable oil on both sides for 4-5 minutes;
6. Ready-made cutlets can be decorated with herbs and served with any side dish.

• Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes, but no more. Otherwise, it will soften greatly and fall apart into separate parts;
• After boiling, the tubers must be dried. To do this, you can drain all the water from the pan and put it on low heat for a couple of minutes;
• It is best to mash with a masher; with its help you can prepare an airy and tender potato mixture;
• Instead of milk, you can put cream with kefir;
• Don't skimp on butter. The more it is, the tastier the puree will be.

Potatoes are a tasty vegetable, if, of course, they are prepared correctly. It turns out especially tasty in the form of puree. It can be eaten either alone or with vegetable and meat side dishes.

In addition, puree can be used as a base in the preparation of many dishes. The main thing in this matter is good imagination and ingenuity.

It is useful for every housewife to learn how to properly and tasty cook one of the most popular dishes - mashed potatoes. To do this, you need to have some skills and knowledge that will help you achieve good results when preparing puree. In order for the dish to be perfect, you need to be able to choose the right type of potato, study the basic cooking technologies and recipes for all types of this dish.

How to make mashed potatoes

Any housewife, having seen beautiful, yellow, fluffy crumpled potatoes in a photo on the Internet, wonders how to prepare mashed potatoes so that it looks like in a restaurant. First you need to master the basic secrets of preparing ingredients, as well as the standards for preparing this dish. First you need to rinse the potatoes under running water. Then remove the peel and cut into 3-4 pieces, then cook the root vegetables until tender. Then mash the potatoes, add a little salt and serve.

How to make delicious puree

An important issue is how to prepare puree in such a way as to satisfy the most demanding taste. To do this, many chefs use additional ingredients that give the finished dish a special delicacy. For flavor during cooking, add a clove of garlic or carrots to the pan; some use onions. To achieve a beautiful color, add only hot milk. To achieve the smooth, creamy texture of the main ingredients, you need to heat the milk and then pour it into the potatoes while mashing using a blender or wooden pestle.

No lumps

To properly prepare delicious potatoes, it is best to use yellow varieties of tubers; they boil better. Russets are often used to make mashed potatoes, which are high-starch potatoes, redskins, or Yukon Golds. To achieve a homogeneous mass without lumps, the product should not be overcooked. Many chefs, instead of standard devices for chopping potatoes, use a sieve through which the product is rubbed with a wooden spoon, thereby eliminating the occurrence of lumps.

Air

To ensure that the crushed potatoes turn out loose and fluffy, there are several nuances. To begin with, you should pay attention to the fact that finely chopped potatoes cook faster and crush better. This will allow the housewife to pound the potatoes more thoroughly, which will make them airy. It is worth noting that dry-crushed potatoes are better saturated with oxygen, which also affects the fluffiness and friability of the finished product.

Mashed Potato Recipes

In the modern world, there are a huge number of mashed potatoes recipes, since this potato dish is one of the popular side dishes. It is served with both meat and fish, a variety of salads, or as an independent dish. But, like any other dish, mashed potatoes have their own classic recipe, and several popular variations.

Classic recipe

• Cooking time: 25-35 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 106 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: side dish for lunch.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: easy.

The recipe for Classic mashed potatoes is one of the most common in Russian cuisine. This soft and delicate dish is suitable as a side dish for any holiday table or just for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The classic recipe for mashed potatoes is highly valued in all countries of the former USSR and beyond, and even a child can prepare it.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kg
• Milk – 150-200 ml
• Butter – 50 g
• Salt - a couple of pinches
• Ground black pepper - to taste

Cooking method:

1. Peel the potatoes, rinse with plenty of water, cut into small pieces.
2. Place the slices in a saucepan, add water, add salt, wait until it boils, skim off the foam if necessary, and cover with a lid. Cook the potatoes over low heat for 15-20 minutes until tender.
3. Drain the water from the potatoes and mash with a potato masher.
4. In another saucepan, heat a small amount of milk and melt the butter there, this will make the mashed potatoes lighter. Pour the mixture into the potatoes.
5. Season the finished dish with salt and pepper, then beat with a wooden spoon.

With milk

• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 80 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: Ukrainian.
• Difficulty: easy.

Housewives often wonder how to make mashed potatoes with milk tasty and healthy. The answer is simple: thanks to the addition of any dairy product to potatoes, they do not lose color, remain loose, airy for a long time and are saturated with a new, unique taste. This dish goes well with main meat or fish dishes or fried dishes, for example, with fried onions.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kilogram
• Onions – 1 piece
• Bay leaf – 2 pieces
• Butter – 100 grams
• Milk – 150 milliliters
• Salt - to taste

Cooking method:

1. Peel large potatoes, rinse under running water, cut into large pieces. Pour water over the slices, bring to a boil and add a little salt.
2. Add the peeled onion and a few bay leaves and cook until soft.
3. After the potatoes are cooked, drain the water from the pan and remove the onion and bay.
4. Grind the potatoes first with a potato masher, then by beating with a mixer. Add cold milk and butter.
5. At the end of cooking, add salt to the dish again, then mix well.

On the water

• Cooking time: 25 minutes.
• Number of servings: 2 persons.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: English.
• Difficulty: easy.

Any person who cooks knows that puree can be prepared with both milk and water. If you strictly follow the technology, then the taste of potatoes mashed with water will be no worse than mashed potatoes with milk. Cooking with water has its own special name - according to Blumenthal. Thanks to this recipe, you can make sure that milk is not an essential ingredient in puree.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kg
• Salt - to taste
• Butter – 100-150 g

Cooking method:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes.
2. Boil whole root vegetables in salted or plain water.
3. According to the recipe, the tubers should be kept in water at a temperature of 62 degrees for half an hour; chicken broth can be used instead of water. After complete cooking, drain the water.
4. Next add butter. Mash the potatoes using standard means.
5. To ensure uniformity, pour the potato mixture into a sieve, then grind.
6. Garnish the puree with green onions and serve.

No butter

• Cooking time: 27 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 74 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: easy.

The absence of butter in the puree does not at all affect the appearance (you can verify this by looking at any photo where such potatoes are presented) and the taste of the dish. Therefore, the question of how to prepare puree without oil disappears by itself. This type of puree will be an excellent side dish for any main meat or fish dish or filling for pies or buns. This dish has a smooth consistency and goes well with fried mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 6 pcs.
• Milk – 100 ml
• Onions – 1 pc.
• Sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon
• Salt - to taste

Cooking method:

1. Peel the tubers, cut into small pieces, and place in lightly salted water. Cook for about 20 minutes.
2. Pour the water out of the pan, put it on low heat, then pour in the milk. Wait until it boils, add salt and simmer; if desired, you can add a few chicken eggs.
3. Peel the onion and chop finely. Pour 5 tablespoons of water into the frying pan, then add sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, add the onion to the frying pan and simmer until golden brown.
4. Place the onion in the pan with the potatoes and mix well.

With cream cheese

• Cooking time: 40 minutes.
• Number of servings: 10 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 133 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: afternoon snack.
• Cuisine: English.
• Difficulty: medium.

Mashed potatoes are a great side dish for any meal. The classic recipe has long gained popularity among people all over the world, but it can also be improved by making the taste a little piquant. Expanding on the standard recipe, many cooks beat in egg whites or yolks, some use the whole egg to achieve the ideal consistency, but others enjoy unusual combinations of potatoes with cheese or heavy cream.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kg
• Heavy cream – 100 ml
• Butter – 50 g
• Cream cheese – 100 g
• Table salt - to taste

Cooking method:

1. The tubers need to be cleaned and washed with plenty of running water. Next, cut them into large pieces. Throw the workpiece into water and cook until tender. During cooking, you need to salt the vegetables.
2. Boiled potatoes need to be crushed with a special press (you can see the design of this device in the photo on the Internet) or use a masher. At this stage, you need to add cream, cheese and butter, mix everything until smooth. The puree becomes dense, but at the same time retains airiness.
3. When serving, sprinkle with fresh herbs.

With vegetable oil

• Cooking time: 35 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 1101 kcal.
• Purpose: breakfast.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: easy.

Puree with vegetable oil is a dietary dish that can be consumed even by patients. The dish is very easy to prepare, therefore it is in demand in many countries around the world. Some chefs use a secret ingredient to add piquancy and special taste - olive oil, which gives the dish a special charm.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kg
• Vegetable oil – 50 g
• Milk 3.2% - 250 ml
• Salt – 10 g

Cooking method:

1. Peel the tubers, rinse, cut into pieces and boil until tender.
2. Drain the water. Hot potatoes are passed through a blender, at which time milk must be gradually poured in (it should be hot). Beat well until an airy, homogeneous mass is obtained.
3. Serve hot, sprinkled with vegetable oil.

With mayonnaise

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 269 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: dinner.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: easy.

Mashed potatoes prepared with the addition of mayonnaise result in an almost ideal consistency and look very beautiful on the plate when served. Potatoes made according to this recipe are in no way inferior to classic mashed potatoes with the addition of milk. Mayonnaise gives the dish more softness, airiness and helps avoid the appearance of a gray color in the finished product.

Ingredients:

• Potato tubers – 1.2 kilograms
• Onions – 1 piece
• Bay leaf – 2 jokes
• Salt - to taste
• Mayonnaise – 4 tbsp. spoons

Cooking method:

1. Peel the potatoes, rinse, place in a cooking container, add water and place on high heat.
2. Throw the peeled onion into the same pan.
3. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook until it boils, then reduce heat and add 1.5 tsp. salt. After 10 minutes, add 2 bay leaves and cook until tender.
4. Drain, leaving 1 cup of liquid in the pan. Throw away the laurel and onions.
5. Thoroughly crush all the potatoes with a masher and add mayonnaise.
6. Stir until smooth. Serve to the table.

With sour cream

• Cooking time: 30 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 250 kcal per 100 grams.
• Purpose: side dish for lunch.
• Cuisine: Ukrainian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Mashed potatoes are a very simple and versatile dish that anyone can handle. But to prepare a truly delicious dish, you need to follow some subtleties. In Ukrainian cuisine, this is sour cream, which gives the potatoes a special fluffiness, and the taste of this dish differs from the classic recipe and other variations of mashed potatoes in its delicate creaminess.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 1 kg
• Onion – 1 pc.
• Salt - to taste
• Potato broth – 1 glass
• Sour cream – 5 tablespoons
• Butter – 3 tablespoons

Cooking method:

1. Peel the medium-sized tubers, cut them and place them in a saucepan.
2. Add onion to the slices, pour boiling water over everything, so that the vegetables are covered by 1 - 2 cm.
3. For crumbly potato varieties, 12-15 minutes of cooking after boiling is enough.
4. Pour the potato broth into a cup.
5. Turn off the heat, add sour cream. The product should be selected with maximum fat content and freshness.
6. Add butter.
7. Using a potato masher, mash the ingredients until pureed. Use the blender with caution - if you beat too hard, the dish may turn into a sticky mass.
8. Serve the finished dish to the table, first sprinkled with dill.

Mashed potatoes are a favorite dish even for gourmets. It can be prepared as a side dish, or eaten as an independent dish. Potatoes go well with almost all foods that exist on earth. Mushrooms, meat, fish, herbs, vegetables and even fruits can perfectly accompany this station wagon. But how to make puree so that it is fluffy and airy, you need to know some secrets. Firstly, it is worth noting that not every potato variety is suitable for this purpose. Varieties with a high starch content are suitable for purees. Even the soil in which the tubers grew matters. On sandy, dry soils, potatoes are more boiled and tasty. In those fields where the soil is wet, the tubers are watery and slippery. You cannot make lush mashed potatoes from such potatoes.

Tubers should be of medium size. Very large ones will take a long time to cook and all the beneficial substances that are in this vegetable will evaporate. Small potatoes are not inferior in taste to standard ones, but they are problematic to peel when raw. Once the potatoes have been selected, you can begin choosing utensils for preparing the dish. Aluminum pans are not recommended for cooking vegetables, since contact with fruit juice causes oxidation and release of harmful impurities. It is better to use enamel dishes or made of fireproof glass. The same applies to a knife for peeling potatoes; it is advisable to use a ceramic one. Peel the potatoes, cutting off the skin as thinly as possible. The most useful substances are found in the peel and right under it.

Peeled potatoes do not need to be kept in cold water for a long time, so they should immediately be placed in a pan of boiling salted water; it should cover the vegetables by about a finger. Cooking time is 20-25 minutes. Readiness can be checked with a knife. If the device easily sinks into the pulp of the tuber, then it is ready. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully drain the potato broth. This can be done using a colander. Before mashing, put the potatoes back into the pan and simmer for a few seconds without water to dry the vegetables. Now you can mash the potatoes, but don’t forget to heat the milk first. You can add salt to the milk, since mashed potatoes respect salt. True, this must be done if pickled cucumbers will not be served with it, otherwise you can overdo it.

You need to mash the potatoes thoroughly, but quickly, before they cool down and steam. You can use a wooden masher for this purpose, but it should be specifically for potatoes and not used for other products. Potatoes perfectly absorb foreign odors, and this is not at all necessary here. When the tubers are well kneaded into a homogeneous consistency, you can add hot milk with dissolved butter. You need to pour in the milk gradually, in separate portions, constantly stirring the puree. The product should be made a little thinner than before serving, as the mashed potatoes will still thicken. The final touch is to beat the prepared dish. Using a hard whisk or just a fork, vigorously stir and beat the potatoes. The puree will be filled with air bubbles and become fluffy.

This dish can be served as a side dish with meat products and fish. Mashed potatoes go wonderfully with mushroom gravy. Homemade pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut are also great for this dish. But you can simply sprinkle the mashed potatoes with herbs and add a piece of butter, and it will be a delicious treat in its own right. There are some nuances in preparing mashed potatoes, which each housewife applies according to her taste. For example, when boiling potatoes, you can add bay leaves, onions and even dill at the end. But in this case, it is better to dilute such potatoes not with milk, but with the broth in which these potatoes were boiled.

Some people like fried onions in vegetable oil, which are mixed with puree. Moreover, different additives completely change the taste and appearance of this dish. If you add egg yolk to the finished mashed potatoes and mix everything, the mashed potatoes will acquire an appetizing golden color. You can dilute mashed potatoes not with milk, but with cream or sour cream. Then it will become a very high-calorie product, with a unique aroma and taste. Each housewife has her own secrets and her own signature dish of mashed potatoes. You can experiment with this dish endlessly, but there are still basic rules. It’s worth remembering them, and then the task of how to make puree will not be a big problem.

Never dilute mashed potatoes with cold milk, sour cream or other cold products. This will cause the puree to have an unattractive dark appearance. In this case, you won’t be able to beat it to an airy state, and the dish will be hopelessly spoiled. Do not leave peeled potatoes in the air without water, as they will quickly turn black and lose their aesthetic appearance. Do not keep peeled potatoes in water for a long time. It will lose its taste and some of its starch. This will make the potatoes less crumbly and difficult to puree. Do not use metal utensils or aluminum cookware during cooking. When metal comes into contact with vegetable juice, a chemical reaction occurs and harmful substances are released.

And although technological progress is on the heels, you should not use household appliances (mixer or blender) when preparing mashed potatoes. These devices make the puree sticky and acquire a rubbery consistency. It’s better to do it the old way, grandma’s way. If you follow these simple rules, then everything will work out. Bon appetit.

It's hard to think of a more classic side dish than mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are a desirable dish not only on the holiday table, but also on ordinary weekdays. You can serve mashed potatoes with a variety of dishes: roast chicken, roast turkey, stew, or as the main ingredient in shepherd's pie. Mashed potatoes can be fluffy and creamy or denser with a rich, rich flavor. In any case, mashed potatoes are not a monotonous side dish. After reading this article, you will learn how to make delicious mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 medium sized potatoes
• 1/2 - 1 cup milk or chicken broth (depending on the type of puree you want to make)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Making country puree

Choose potatoes. When choosing potatoes, think about what you will cook with them. Different varieties of potatoes intended for boiling, frying, and baking have different properties, as well as taste and texture.

1. Wash the potatoes. Wash each potato thoroughly with cold water. Carefully inspect each potato to ensure there is no dirt left anywhere. If you wash the potatoes in a bowl of water, do it thoroughly before cutting the potatoes.

   • You can use a small brush specifically designed for scrubbing potatoes. You will be able to remove all the dirt.

2. You can cook the potatoes with their skins on, or you can peel the skins before cutting the potatoes into pieces. Quarter the potatoes or cut them into cubes.

   • If you decide to boil the potatoes with their skins on, keep in mind that this will affect the texture of the mashed potatoes. Therefore, it is better to use Yukon Gold, as this potato variety has thin skin than Russet potatoes.

3. Prepare the potatoes. Place the prepared potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. The potatoes should be covered by several centimeters of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness with a fork. The potatoes should be soft when pierced with a fork.

   Prepare additional ingredients. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the chicken stock or milk and remove the butter from the refrigerator.

   • Use chicken broth if you want a richly flavored puree. Thanks to milk, you can make potatoes with a creamy taste.
   • If you heat the milk or broth, your puree will stay hot longer. In addition, potatoes absorb warm liquids better.

4. Drain and prepare potatoes. Use a colander to drain the potatoes. Place the pan back on the stove. Add room temperature butter and mash the potatoes.

   • It is better to pound potatoes using a regular potato masher. However, do not overdo it, otherwise you will end up with a puree that is not the consistency expected in this recipe. Small pieces and peel should remain intact.

5. Add milk or broth. Do it gradually. Stir gently and add a little more liquid if your potatoes seem dry. Continue adding liquid gradually until the mashed potatoes reach the desired consistency.

   • Do not add all the milk or broth at once. You may end up adding too much liquid and you end up with potato soup instead of puree. Add liquid depending on the type of potato and its starchy level.

6. Add spices and serve. Add salt, pepper and/or more oil to taste. Serve the puree warm.

   • Additionally, you can add chopped onions or peppers to your dish.

   Making Creamy, Smooth Mashed Potatoes

   1. Choose potatoes. When choosing potatoes, consider what you will be cooking with them. Different varieties of potatoes intended for boiling, frying, and baking have different properties, as well as taste and texture.

      • A common potato variety with high levels of starch is Russet. Nothing can beat it for baking and making light and fluffy mashed potatoes.
      • Use low-starch potatoes, such as red potatoes. These potatoes are sometimes called waxy potatoes; they retain their shape better than other varieties.
      • Yukon Gold potatoes can be used to prepare various dishes. You can fry, boil, bake this type of potato. If you decide to mash this potato variety, you will end up with a delicious, creamy dish.

   2. Wash the potatoes. Wash each potato thoroughly with cold water. Carefully inspect each potato to ensure there is no dirt left anywhere. If you wash the potatoes in a bowl of water, do it thoroughly before you cut the potatoes.

      Prepare the potatoes for boiling. Peel the potatoes before cutting them into pieces. Quarter the potatoes or cut them into cubes. The larger the pieces, the longer the potatoes will cook.