Who doesn't like a creamy, fluffy and fragrant bowl of mashed potato?! We all indeed do. Learn how to make the best vegan mashed potatoes with a bunch of useful and easy to follow tips.
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When it comes to mashed potatoes everybody seems to have their favourite way of making it. Some cook them with the peel on, some without. Some add a little of the cooking water to the mashed potatoes for extra starch.
Some use old recipes and traditional methods, others use a modern technology approach.
Mashed potato is an amazing base to be featured in plenty of recipes, such as this Neapolitan-Style Vegan Potato Gateau.
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I personally think that the single thing that makes the biggest difference when it comes to a perfectly creamy and smooth mashed potato is indeed the type of potatoes you use.
What Potatoes to use
My preferred potatoes to use are Maris Pipers and Yukon gold. Other good alternatives would be Russets, King Edward and White potatoes.
Overall, I’d suggest to choose higher starch potatoes like Maris Piper, Yukon Golds or Russets for the fluffiest, smoothest and most flavour-packed mash.
Russet varieties mash up light and fluffy, while yellow-fleshed potatoes like Yukon Gold have a naturally buttery flavour and creamy, dense consistency.
Choose one or the other depending on your preferences, or – why not - a mix of both!
Keep in mind that waxy potatoes (such as red or white varieties) have firmer flesh and require more mashing to become creamy, which could lead to the dreaded "potato paste."
4 tips for the Best Mashed Potato
Once you have your hands on the best potatoes for mash, make sure to follow these 4 easy tips to achieve the best vegan mashed potatoes of your life.
TIP 1 - Cook the potatoes in COLD WATER and SALT
Cover the potatoes with cold water, add salt, then boil and reduce to a simmer. If you start in hot water they'll cook unevenly letting the outside falling apart before the inside is fully cooked.
TIP 2 - DRAIN the Potatoes well
Make sure to drain well after cooking to avoid a mushy, watery mess. While no one likes mashed potatoes that are dry and chalky, you'll want to use a flavourful liquid to add moisture, like plant based milk, cream or even stock.
TIP 3 - Use room temperature or WARM plant based milk & butter
Let your butter come to room temperature before melting it into the hot potatoes, then mash in the warm plant milk or cream. Warm butter and cream will blend more easily into the warm potatoes, making them creamier and softer and it will avoid cooling everything down.
TIP 4 - DO NOT OVERWORK the spuds
The swollen starch granules in your cooked potatoes are in a delicate state. Use a potato masher or a potato ricer and absolutely AVOID using a blender or food processor; mashing the potatoes too vigorously or for too long releases lots of starch, which makes them gluey and unappetizing.
So be gentle with your potatoes, so that you can achieve light and fluffy spuds and make everyone happy.
Other ways to cook Potatoes for mashed
I find another good alternative to cook potatoes for mash is using the Instant Pot. Follow this guide to perfectly cook potatoes in the instant pot. This method will also ensure that potatoes are kept dry and ready to be mashed.
Do not use the microwave!
Microwave is a great option to reheat leftover mashed potato, but when it comes to cooking raw potatoes for this preparation, its technology won't allow the spuds to cook evenly and fluff up nicely.
So I really advice you to NOT use it for this purpose.
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