Instructions
You’d think that a simple dish like mashed potatoes would be fairly innocuous. Uncomplicated and unlikely to generate controversy?
Well, in fact I have rarely known a single recipe to cause so much ruckus in both domestic and professional cooking circles. For it seems that the culinary world has been split by schism into two distinct churches of the spud – the Temple of the Paris Mash, and the Holy Order of Mum’s Whipped Potatoes.
Paris mash is what chefs create in fancy eating houses throughout the globe: rich, creamy, and thoroughly decadent. Paul Bocuse, the immortal French master chef, once described his authentic Paris mash as a dairy product not vegetable, for its curiously high levels of cream and butter. Some would consider this concoction a prelude to visiting the cardiologist, but there is no denying that its sweet, fatty, salty pleasures are devilishly satisfying.
To perfect a Paris mash, you need soft waxy potatoes, quality cream, loads of butter and surprisingly high amount of salt and ground white pepper.
By contrast, whipped potato is the side dish prepared in so many homes during the week. Light and tasty, it provides a perfect background to most accompaniments, and does not need to be the hero flavour. It fulfils its true role, as a side dish. Made mostly from the potatoes themselves, cooks will add some milk, a little butter and only a sprinkling of salt to round out the taste. Whipped potatoes lack the robustness of a restaurant mash, but it’s a dish you can afford to eat several time s a week, as opposed to several times a year.
But for me there is a middle ground. Consider it the Bahai of potato recipes, taking a little from each, while disavowing none. Select only the best waxy potatoes Nadine, Spunta, Golden Delight, Bintje, King Edward, Royal Blue and Kipfler are all good choices. Steam the spuds, don’t boil them. Go for cream ahead of milk, but feel free to use half of each if it feels better. Butter? Yes, definitely, but no as much as you might expect. And cut down on the salt. We want to be able to taste to potatoes.
Mashed potatoes