How do you make smashed potatoes?

[knight76]

My mother always used to mash them to a smooth consistency. Whipping I guess as mentioned about.

So now, I can't stand any lumps in the mash. I have to say, I am pretty plain with my mash, just boil em up, and let rip with the hand masher, add milk, butter, salt etc. Usually top this with a white sauce.

Has anyone tried steaming the potatoes then mashing? I've done this before, adds less water to the potatoes and when you whip em they are of a firmer consistency.

 

[MexicoKaren]

To add garlic to my potatoes, I saute some chopped garlic in 3-4 TBS of butter until it is really sizzling and just starting to brown. Then, I add this delicious concoction to the potatoes as I "smash" them, along with cream, salt and pepper. I didn't say it was health food, but it sure is good.

 

[archiduc]

Hi All,
I reckon there are "smashed" potatoes and then there are "mashed" potatoes.

A "Smashed potato" is when the potatoes are washed/cleaned and boiled. When making "smashed potatoes, they don`t need to be peeled! Drain when cooked and place in a pot over low heat and allow to dry for 2/3 minutes. Add butter or OO or EVOO (in which you have cooked a little sliced or chopped garlic over a low heat) and "smash" with a fork. Thus, one does not need to peel the potatoes prior to cooking.

A "mashed" potato should be washed and peeled before boiling, drained when cooked and placed back on a low heat for 2/3 minutes before being put through a potato ricer into a clean pot and then one should add 25-50 gms butter melted with 100gms/4 fl oz/7 tablespoons of milk per 500gms/1 lb potatoes.

Smashed and mashed are not the same - you can smash with a fork and it can be a rough mix, delightful, flavoursome and appropriate to the dish - like griddled tuna or salmon on garlic "smashed" potatoes, but a "mash" should be velvety smooth - IMHO, suitable for serving with a bouef bourguinonne.

Regards,
Archiduc

 

[DramaQueen]

ARCHIDUC is right on. Mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes are not the same. The term "smashed" means just that. You just smash them with a fork, or a potato masher but you don't whip them. They should be lumpy with chunks of potato, not smooth. I use redskins and leave the skins on. I prefer these to whipped because I like the texture. And like all good chefs, I NEVER use an electric mixer to whip the potatoes when mashing. This can result in a non-textured gummy mass. I use a ricer, then "whip" with a fork adding butter, cream and/or blue cheese, chedder cheese, horseradish, garlic butter, compound butter or any number of other flavorings.

 

[MexicoKaren]

Oh Pook, it sounds more than OK to me. Yum. No need to make things complicated. I agree than "smashed" and "mashed" are different, but I start out with my potato masher for "smashed potatoes" and leave them pretty chunky. I would never dream of using a mixer on mashed potatoes. Did that once, and ended up with something like wallpaper paste.

 

[elaine l]

I use a masher to make mine, simple with butter and milk/cream. I may be alone in this but I dislike the garlic mashed that seem to have taken over every restaurant side dish.

 

[kitch22]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned caramelized onions as an addition to mashed potatoes. That's a favorite in my family. I cook onions in butter and olive oil till caramelized and add them into the potatoes while mashing with a potato masher. Yummm!

 

[GotGarlic]

I use a masher to make mine, simple with butter and milk/cream. I may be alone in this but I dislike the garlic mashed that seem to have taken over every restaurant side dish.

You're not alone, elaine. I love garlic, but for some reason, I'm not crazy about garlic in mashed/smashed potatoes, or on shrimp - never did like shrimp scampi.

 

[archiduc]

ARCHIDUC is right on. Mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes are not the same. The term "smashed" means just that. You just smash them with a fork, or a potato masher but you don't whip them. They should be lumpy with chunks of potato, not smooth. I use redskins and leave the skins on. I prefer these to whipped because I like the texture. And like all good chefs, I NEVER use an electric mixer to whip the potatoes when mashing. This can result in a non-textured gummy mass. I use a ricer, then "whip" with a fork adding butter, cream and/or blue cheese, chedder cheese, horseradish, garlic butter, compound butter or any number of other flavorings.

Hi DramaQueen,
Glad to see we are in agreement, especially re. not using anything electrical to treat the tatties. I live in Scotland so we call potatoes "tatties". Anyway, I digress.

Alternative flavourings for trying:
* add some puréed smoked garlic for serving with duck breast, roast goose, pork - roast/chops or lamb - especially lamb -yum, yum, yummy(!);
* finely shred and sauté quickly in butter and OO some finely shredded Savoy cabbage. Add a little stock to prevent burning whilst the cabbage cooks and mix with either smashed or mashed tatties. Serve with pork or ham. Honey glazed pork chops on a bed of this tattie mix with spinach stuffed tomatoes - well I`ve died and gone to foodie heaven (!);
* smashed or mashed tatties mixed with whole grain mustard (and it HAS to be wholegrain mustard) served as a base for beef. This is especially good if served with beef collops which are braised slices of beef cooked in a beer and stock mix or with pickled walnuts. In other words, a traditional boeuf carbonnade but using a more tender/expensive cut that one slices rather than cubed beef. Apologies, as I`m not explaining this well but UK cuts of beef are different from USA cuts. I suppose another way of thinking is that the beef needs to be a braising cut which one can slice and braise so that when cooked the slices lie on top of the potato whereas cubes of beef would look crude;
* mashed potatoes/tatties mixed with the cooked white of leek which has been thinly sliced and cooked in butter and OO. Serve with ham, pork and poultry. If making for duck breasts, I would cook a little of the green of leek.
* Westpahlian potatoes - smashed/mashed mixed with purée of apples (cooking) and serve with goose, duck or venison and a red cabbage flavoured with carraway seeds or other spices but not including apples. There are many classic ways of cooking red cabbage which do not include apples - for example, red cabbage with prunes is just one variation. Antonio Carluccio has a fabulous recipe for red cabbage with beetroot which would be good here.
* smashed/mashed tatties with VERY finely diced spring onions/scallions and used as a base on which to serve a pan fried fillet of fish like salmon or mackerel.
* if all else fails, a bowl of smashed/mashed tatties with any addition or one makes the perfect comfort food!

All the best,
Archiduc

 

[jet]

My mother always used to mash them to a smooth consistency. Whipping I guess as mentioned about.

So now, I can't stand any lumps in the mash. I have to say, I am pretty plain with my mash, just boil em up, and let rip with the hand masher, add milk, butter, salt etc. Usually top this with a white sauce.

Has anyone tried steaming the potatoes then mashing? I've done this before, adds less water to the potatoes and when you whip em they are of a firmer consistency.

I cook my potatoes in the microwave...I see no point in boiling them.

 

[butzie]

whip it good.

I wanted to post a URL for the song Let it Whip by the Dazz Band but I have not made enough posts yet. Better start posting more.

If anyone is interested in what I was going to post you will have to look up the UTube video of that song. I love to dance to it sans the whip. Actually, cooking to it is fun too.

Oh, yeah, rustic potatoes are made with the peels still on and with a potato masher. My Mom found the electric mixer and never went back to the masher again. We used that for egg salad and mushed bananas.

 

[archiduc]

Archiduc - I really believe the OP's question was aimed more at the basic technique question of what is: Smashed vs Mashed vs Creamed vs Whipped ... not a pedantic 4-star dissertation on recipes.

Heck - had it been about recipes - I would have posted one for Colcannon!

Hi Michael in FTW,

As you will see from my response, given in message 23, I responded directly to the OP re. smashed and mashed potatoes. My second post on this thread was in response to message 24 as posted by DRAMAQUEEN (in message 24) in respect of the message I had posted - specifically number 23.

Having read through the messages, I felt that:
1. sufficient argument had been given as to how one might distinguish between and make smashed/mashed potatoes;
2. alternatives (ideas (?)- are these not good!) for treating potatoes could be presented and could/should be shared with other posters for them to explore in their diet and cooking;
3. remind me about the purpose of this messageboard - advice (given that in message 23), ideas (given that later), recipes (when it comes to tatties, it is a question of taste);
4. this forum is about the sharing of ideas which, when possible, should be explained giving the different competencies of readers/posters - some degree of clarity is appropriate here to explain what one means and give suggestions as to serving;
5. thus some basic instructions as to "how one might do it" would be appropriate. I apologise to anyone whom I might have offended by sharing the methods with which I treat potatoes and any other ingredients with which you might usefully employ them to make a meal or tasty dish!
6. my post was not a dissertation - that would be at least 10,00 words - but I can do it if you like! I spent over 20 years teaching UK undergraduates in Edinburgh, Scotland, how to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get over yourself - nothing prevented you from posting any tattie recipe or advice as to how to make, extend and serve tatties in conjunction with any other ingredient. Yes - you should have given you recipe for Colcannon!

Regards,
Archiduc

 

[DramaQueen]

Colcannon is one of my favorite recipes but didn't mention because we were talking about mashed vs. smashed potatoes. And yes, Archiduc, I forgot all about using whole grain mustard in mashed potatoes. That really is a good alternative. Haven't done that in a couple of years but thanks for reminding me. I think it's time to re-visit that dish.

 

[jennyhill]

I cook potatoes in the cooker with water. Drain the water, Peal the skin and mash them.

Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and some some yogurt. Cook for few minutes. We can add a few drops of lemon juice also. This is a simple recipe and its yummy.