A veggie dish so good, the Wiggles made a song about it.
I made mashed potato this afternoon ready for dinner and Miss Charlotte pipes up; “Thanks for making mashed potato Mummy!” with the same excitement as if I had just offered her a rainbow ice-cream covered in sprinkles with a chocolate egg on top! “Can I have some please?”
Off she skips with a cup full of this absolutely moreish mash in one hand; teaspoon sticking out of her mouth. Happy as a pig in mud.
How good.
Now what is the key to the perfect mash you ask? Well I learnt from the master, my grandma, Mim. People often say that the answer is: butter, butter, butter (said in a thick French accent). Yes, I agree. Butter definitely comes in to it.
But I’m here to uncover some other secrets to the perfect mash that will make your family, friends, whoever you are cooking this for, come begging for more.
Lo’s tips for the BEST MASH!
- The potatoes need to be cooked in salted water until really soft and completely falling apart when touched with a knife.
- Once the potatoes are cooked (should take about 30 – 40 minutes to boil on a low to medium heat), you drain the water away and put the spuds back in the saucepan. Add a good knob of butter, a splash of milk and the secret ingredient – WHITE PEPPER, and loads of it. Let it simmer on a low heat until the butter has melted and the milk is starting to boil.
- Now mash the potatoes with a hand masher (mine was a wedding present from my good friend, Mel Singh – thanks Mel!), change to a wooden spoon and give it a really good mix. It’s a good arm workout! I find this vigorous mixing really helps to get the lumps out. (Handy to have a strong helper here too). Insert Cork Daddy.
- Now to make the mash extra creamy, pass it through a fine sieve. There will not be a lump in sight, leaving you with a creamy and light mashed potato.
- Mashed potato this good should be served in a nice serving dish (preferably one with a lid). To prepare the serving dish, I pour water from a boiling kettle in, to make sure that it is really hot. When ready to serve, discard the boiling water and throw the mash in to the dish. This little trick helps it to stay hot for longer.
Serve the mashed potato with my meatloaf and steamed greens.
Passing the mash through a fine sieve is a little time consuming, but oh so worth it.
If you make this mash, send me a pic here as I would love to pop it up on the blog! xx
lo's kitchen 
Thanks Lo for these fabulous tips – they have improved my mash tenfold! I would never have thought to put it through a sieve, it makes such a difference.
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