Mashed potatoes, a seemingly simple dish, is often underestimated in its details. To make smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes, there are some small techniques that cannot be overlooked. During my time working in a restaurant, BigBoy would use over ten kilograms of potatoes daily to create incredibly smooth mashed potatoes. Now, let’s introduce you to the secrets of making restaurant-quality mashed potatoes!
Mashed Potatoes and French Cuisine
Mashed potatoes (Pommes Purée) hold a significant place in French cuisine as one of the classic side dishes. French chefs have high standards for mashed potatoes, often viewing them as a benchmark for culinary skill. The French love for mashed potatoes dates back to the era of classical French cuisine. The smooth texture and rich flavour of mashed potatoes make them the perfect accompaniment to various main dishes. Whether paired with grilled steak, roasted chicken, or sophisticated stews, mashed potatoes enhance the overall dining experience with their creamy texture and buttery taste.
What Potatoes Are Best for Making Mashed Potatoes?
Choosing the right type of potato is crucial when making mashed potatoes. The ideal potatoes are those with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes, Maris Piper, Red Royale Potatoes, or Dutch Cream Potatoes. These potatoes have a higher starch content, which allows them to absorb butter and cream more effectively, resulting in a smoother, creamier texture. In contrast, potatoes with lower starch content tend to produce a more pasty consistency, making it harder to achieve the desired smoothness. For this recipe, we’ll be using Red Royale Potatoes.
The first key step: Baking with a salt base
The first step in making mashed potatoes is baking the potatoes. When baking, start by placing some coarse salt or rock salt on the baking tray—this is a crucial step in enhancing the texture of the mashed potatoes. Sprinkling salt on the bottom of the tray helps absorb the moisture released from the potatoes, reducing their humidity and making them drier. This treatment ensures that the mashed potatoes will be smoother and have a better texture. It’s important not to boil the potatoes directly in water, even though it might cook them faster. Boiling causes the starch to leach out into the water, which would waste the effort we’ve put into selecting the right potatoes for making perfect mashed potatoes.
The Second Key Step: Heating Butter and Cream
The process of heating butter and cream is a crucial step in making perfect mashed potatoes. During the preparation, the butter and cream should be heated until they begin to simmer. Then, while still hot, mix them thoroughly with the mashed potatoes. This method prevents the mashed potatoes from experiencing oil separation (commonly known as “split”) when reheated.
In restaurants, chefs typically prepare mashed potatoes in advance and store them in the refrigerator. When it’s time to serve, they reheat the mashed potatoes, and because the butter and cream were preheated, the texture remains stable, preventing the oil from separating.
If your mashed potatoes do happen to split, a simple remedy is to add more hot cream and stir it in evenly. The proteins in the cream will help re-emulsify the mixture, absorbing the separated oil back into the potatoes.
The Third Key Step: Sieving
Finally, to achieve a truly smooth texture, the mashed potatoes must be sieved. After mixing the mashed potatoes with the heated butter and cream, sieving helps remove any remaining lumps, ensuring a finer and more uniform texture. This simple step makes a significant difference in the final mouthfeel, bringing the mashed potatoes to the desired level of smoothness.
By mastering these key techniques, you can easily create incredibly smooth mashed potatoes, adding a delicious French classic side dish to your table. If you want to learn how to make this delicious French crepe with poached pears in red wine, watch the video below or scroll down for the written recipe :)
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Ingredients (Serve 4)
Red Royale Potatoes | 1 kg |
|---|---|
Butter | 100g |
Heavy Cream | 300ml |
Salt | 5g / 1 tsp |
Olive Oil（optional） | to garnish |
Chive（optional） | to garnish |
Steps
1.
Place the potatoes on a bed of rock salt and roast at 165°C for 1.5 hours. If there are smaller potatoes, add them to the oven about 15 minutes after the larger potatoes. This way, all the potatoes will be cooked at the same time.
2.
Just before the potatoes are done, put the cream, butter, and salt into a pot and cook over low heat until it just starts to boil. (Make sure the butter is cut into small pieces, not a big chunk.)
3.
While the butter mixture is cooking, start peeling the potatoes and ricing them. Work quickly to keep the potatoes hot.
4.
. Once the potatoes are riced, pour in the butter mixture in a few times and mix thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps.
5.
Pass the mashed potatoes through a sieve to create a smooth purée.
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