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MASH - A TRUE SUPER-FOOD.

There is a lot of talk these days about super foods, well, if I had to name one super food, it would be mashed potato. Versatile, filling, economic and delicious, it is the ultimate comfort food. I couldn't count the number of times it has saved me from the ravages of a hang-over, both by eating it prior to going out, or by devouring it when I get home. To the British, mash is like rice is to the Chinese, or pasta is to the Italians, we just can't stop inventing new delicious ways of using it. Here I will explain how to make "perfect" mash, how to avoid ending up with runny or gluey mash, and a variety of ways to make the best of our favourite food. 

Perfect Mash

How to make perfect mash.

As easy, economical and delicious, as it is versatile.

An absolute must know recipe!

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STEPS

1)Peel and cut three potatoes into large chunks.

(the best way to cut the potatoes is to push the knife into the potato and then twist it. The potato will make a breaking noise. This way the potato will release more of its starch, making it easier to attain a firm mash later.)

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2)Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with abundant salted water.

It is important that you cover the potatoes with cold water and bring it to the boil, otherwise the potatoes will not be evenly boiled.

3)Boil on a medium flame for about 20 min. Pinch them with a fork after 15min., when they fall off the fork when pinched, they are ready.

Drain and allow to cool a couple of minutes, then add 3 or 4 knobs of butter, a spoonful of fresh or sour cream,  about 100gr of a grated cheese of your choice, and a pinch of pepper.

The butter, cheese and cream, should all be at room temperature in order for them to blend well with the potatoes.

4)Mash using a potato masher until the mash is smooth, creamy, yet firm, and has NO LUMPS!

The importance of making sure there are no lumps cannot be overstressed, but also it is important to understand that once you have achieved a smooth, creamy and firm mash, you should stop. Over-mashing will almost inevitably make your mash runny or gluey, as the potato releases starch as it is mashed, and the greater the ammount of starch it releases into the mash, the greater the danger of it becoming runny.

I don't recommend the use of a blender for precisely this reason. It is far too easy to over-blend.

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THAT'S IT ! EASY ISN'T IT ?

NOW ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DECIDE WHAT TO EAT IT WITH.

Bangers & Mash

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Simple, cheap, traditional, British Grub, and there is nothing wrong with that!

No fuss cooking, that requires virtually no cooking skills, but which produces fabulous tasty and filling meals.

The "recipe" for "perfect mash" is above, and for the "recipe" for onion-sausage gravy, (which is basically, fry the onions with the sausages and add boiling water to the gravy granules) click on the side-bar menu 7/6/17.

Below, see three ways of serving your bangers & mash:

In an oven dish (lining the dish with the potato and then filling the centre with the sausage mix;

Tipped onto a plate, to make a volcano;

or simply flopped, slopped, or dolloped onto your plate.

Russian Salad

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A classic mash potato dish.

If you've been on holiday to Spain, you're unlikely to have escaped without getting hooked on this fantastic potato salad.

Ridiculously easy to make, it will transport you right back to your favourite holiday bar.

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for the full recipe, see my post of 4/4/17.

Cottage Pie

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This, and it's tomato version, are two of those dishes that take me right back to my childhood.

A classic dish that everyone's mother made best.

Easy, economical and really, really tasty.

If you don't know how to make this, you really aught to learn!

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for the full recipe, see my post of 21/3/17

Tomato Casserole

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Sausage-meat version of a cottage pie.

As easy to make, as it is delicious.

Give this a go, and your guaranteed

to impress both friends and family.

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For the full recipe, click on the slide-bar image 6/6/17

Gnocchi

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Easy and fun to make gnocchi. Ideal for getting the kids to help you in the kitchen.

Brilliant with bacon and mushrooms, tomato and basil, or just about any sauce you want to make.

The whole family will love it, and with the amount you can make with next to no ingredients, you can afford to feed them all.

INGREDIENTS

1 potato,

1 egg,

340gr plain flour,

a knob of butter.

STEPS

1)Put the potato in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, and boil until they start to feel soft when pricked with a fork. This is slightly less than when making perfect mash, as you want to make a smooth and firm mash, not creamy.

Remove from the flame and add the butter (at room temperature), then mash until lump free, FIRM  AND SMOOTH.

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then add the flour and the egg.

2)Mix the ingredients together and knead until you have a firm ball of dough.

3)Break off lumps of dough, then roll them, on a floured surface, into "snakes".

Cut the snakes into 1" long pieces, then mould the pieces into small pillow shapes. Just squeezing gently with your fingers will do the trick.

They do not need to be uniform, they don't even have to be pillow shapes, you can make any shape you want; twists, squares, egg-shapes, whatever. Just take it easy and enjoy yourself.

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4)Put aside the gnocchi that you want to use, and place the rest in hermetic bags for storage in the freezer.

I made 122 with mine, and given that an average portion would be 12-14, (we are three, so I used 42) I stored enough gnocchi for two more meals.

Mash Dumplings

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Really easy mash potato dumplings. These fluffy, tasty and filling dumplings are ideal for adding to your soups or stews, like little taste bombs slowly releasing flavour into your dishes.

All you need is a little left over mash or a medium/large potato, some breadcrumbs (home-made is best, but it isn't essential), an egg and a couple of your favourite herbs and spices.

STEPS

1)Well, if your not using some left-over mash, the first step is to boil a medium/large potato in boiling salted water for about 20min, until it falls off a fork when pinched. There is no need to add grated cheese to your mash if you don't want to, nor fresh/sour cream, just a knob of butter will do fine.

2)Place the mash, the breadcrumbs* and the egg, in a large bowl. Mix together then knead until you achieve a firm "dough-like" ball.

*Breadcrumbs. You can either buy breadcrumbs in any supermarket, or make your own. All you need to make your own is some stale bread and a blender. I incorporate herbs and spices into the breadcrumbs to give them that extra punch that will liven up your soups and stews. This time I used oregano, dill and poppy seeds, but you can use whichever herbs and spices you fancy. Later, as you cook the dumplings, they will act as taste bombs, slowly releasing flavours into your soups and stews.

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3)Tear off small lumps of dough and form them into small balls, then finely coat them in flour.

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   THAT'S IT ! Just use what you want, and store the rest in the freezer. It's as easy as that!

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       For other methods for making dumplings, see my "TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES" page.

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