Crushed potatoes. How to make mashed potatoes as a side dish - simple and tasty recipes with photos

Mashed potatoes are the most popular and beloved side dish in our country. It is difficult to say what dish housewives prepare as often as mashed potatoes. It is truly universal: tasty, flexible, and allows you to experiment with design. Mashed potatoes go wonderfully with any meat, vegetables, fish, and leave you feeling full for a long time. Perhaps in Russia, this dish is confidently ahead of even pasta in popularity, not to mention cereals and vegetables.

But for the puree to truly bring pleasure - and not only in taste, but also in appearance - it must be prepared correctly. You don't need any special talent for this. According to the classical canons (or rather, technical and technological maps developed in the blessed Soviet years), this dish is prepared from boiled potatoes, butter, milk and salt. All. No secret ingredients, no fancy electrical gadgets. Armed with a simple wooden pestle, you can make the perfect mashed potatoes.

Cook the right potatoes the right way

For the perfect mashed potatoes, you want to buy the best, young, freshly harvested potatoes. But this is exactly what you shouldn’t do. Young potatoes have their own charm: they are crumbly, tasty, but completely unsuitable for mashed potatoes. It is better to boil it in its jacket, and use potatoes from the previous harvest for mashing. Of course, this does not mean that the tubers should be green and sprouted.

Elastic tubers with smooth, dense skin are peeled, thoroughly washed with water and boiled until tender, dipped in hot water. Salt should be added as soon as the water boils. There is no need to cut the potatoes very finely: this way, of course, they will cook faster, but will lose a lot of starch. As soon as the potatoes are ready, they need to be drained and slightly dried over the fire.

Everything must be hot

Preparing the puree itself is as easy as shelling pears: dried potatoes are kneaded, and during this process butter and milk are added to it in several steps. The main problem that most cooks have when making mashed potatoes is color and consistency. Let’s ignore the cases where, in order to save money, they use water instead of butter - here you can’t count on excellent results. But even if you use the right ingredients, your mashed potatoes can end up being too chewy and disgustingly grey. And the secret is that mashed potatoes must be made exclusively from hot potatoes, the temperature of which is not lower than 80 ° C. Butter and milk added to potatoes must also be hot. This mixture of hot ingredients will give you smooth, creamy white mashed potatoes.

Options are possible

Any self-respecting chef will try to improve classic mashed potatoes depending on the moment. Sometimes it turns out so beautifully if you add curly parsley, finely chopped dill or carrot puree to regular puree. For children, you can create whole pictures of purees, vegetables and herbs on a plate. Sophisticated gourmets complement the taste of mashed potatoes with ground pepper, garlic, cheese and even nuts. But most importantly, never reheat cooled mashed potatoes. Its shelf life is only two hours. After this, the puree can be used to make potato pie, zraz, casseroles, fillings, but it will no longer become a side dish.

Everyone loves mashed potatoes as a side dish for various main meat or fish dishes. It also goes well with pickles, mushrooms, and vegetable salads.
There are various recipes for making mashed potatoes. And many families have their own secrets - how to make it airy and incredibly tasty.
But if your mothers or grandmothers have not yet passed on their family secrets to you, we suggest you try this very easy-to-prepare recipe - dairy-free mashed potatoes.

TIME: 40 min.

Easy

Servings: 4

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:

• Potatoes - 1 kg (about 13 pcs.);
• Butter - 100 g;
• Egg - 1 pc.;
• Bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• Peppercorns - 2 pcs.;
• Salt, ground pepper, dill - to taste.

Cooking

Peel the potatoes, carefully cutting out the eyes (solanine, which is harmful to the body, accumulates in them) and cut into slices of the same size - this way they will cook faster and more evenly.
Pour water into a saucepan with chopped potatoes (enough to completely cover the slices).


Bring the water to a boil at maximum heat, and after boiling, reduce the temperature and add salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.


Boil the potatoes until tender (they become soft, boil through and are easily pierced with a fork), after which the pan is removed from the stove.


The resulting broth is carefully (very hot!) poured into another container, the peppercorns and bay leaves are removed from it.
Cooked potatoes are thoroughly mashed with a special potato masher or blender (mixer).


Melted butter is poured into the puree in several additions, mixing well each time.
Lightly beat the egg in a separate bowl. It is then added to the puree in the same way as butter.

Helpful Tips:

• Delicious milk-free puree is obtained by using chicken broth instead of water.
• Original recipe: add almond milk to mashed potatoes (almonds soaked for several hours are ground in a blender with a little water) and a lot of chopped herbs (onions, parsley, etc.).
• If you do not add potatoes for boiling cold water, and with boiling water, it will cook faster, become tastier, and more nutrients will be retained in it.
• To cook potatoes faster, add a little oil to the water.
• Potatoes will become tastier if you add 2-3 cloves of garlic, dill or a little cheese (even dried) during cooking.
• The puree will be fluffy if: drain the broth and dry the potatoes well (keep on low heat for a bit); Steam the potatoes.
• When boiling old potatoes, it is recommended to add a little lemon juice and a few pieces of sugar to the water (so that they do not darken and become tasty).
• You should not use new potatoes for mashed potatoes.
• From the remaining mashed potatoes in the water you can prepare casseroles, cutlets,

In cooking, the name of many dishes is directly related to the method of their preparation. So, for example, “pounded milk” is a product that has a puree-like appearance. It received such an unusual name because to prepare the boiled vegetable it is necessary to pound it using special devices until it turns into a lush, homogeneous mass. How to make “pounded meat” and what is needed to make it really tasty?

The simplest option

Any housewife can tell you how to make a crush. True, each has its own special recipe for this. Nevertheless, there is a simple standard algorithm, according to which such a process consists of the following steps:

1. First, the potatoes need to be washed and peeled.
2. After this, the fruits must be boiled, adding a little salt at the very end.
3. Then the water must be drained.
4. Then the potatoes need to be softened in any convenient way.
5. Add additional ingredients.
6. Mix again until the mixture is as homogeneous as possible. If the mass turns out dry, then it can be diluted by adding a little liquid.

By performing all of the above steps step by step, you can easily figure out how to make a “pound”. Numerous recipes for preparing this popular dish differ from each other, mainly in the list of additional ingredients. With their help, the product acquires a certain taste and unique aroma. The main addition to potatoes is butter. Usually it is added at the rate of 100 grams per 0.5 kilograms of the main product. As a result, the puree becomes soft, tender and acquires a pleasant creamy taste.

National characteristics

Different peoples have their own idea of ​​what mashed potatoes should be. This is due to long-standing national traditions and habits. For example, the French have their own opinion on how to make a “pound”. To do this they need to have:

for 800 grams - potatoes, a glass of whole milk, 3 tablespoons of grainy mustard, 8 sprigs of tarragon and 150 milliliters of full-fat sour cream.

The preparation method in this case is very similar to the standard version:

1. First of all, you need to boil the peeled potatoes by placing them in a pan of water.
2. At this time, you need to tear off the leaves from the tarragon branches and chop them finely.
3. When ready, drain the potatoes and mash the boiled vegetables into a puree. Usually a special masher is used for this.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients according to the recipe and add salt, depending on your own taste.

Then the products must be mixed again. Only after this the “pound” can be eaten.

Popular method

To have an idea of ​​​​real puree, you need to know how to make a “pound” with milk. This component is considered the most important after butter. It is with its help that it is possible to obtain a soft and delicate finished product. Of the many recipes for this, the best option is one that contains:

500 grams of potatoes, 100 milliliters of milk (or cream), salt, 30 grams of butter and 1 raw chicken egg.

Making such a puree is not difficult. To do this you need:

1. Peel the potatoes. Large specimens are best cut into pieces.
2. Boil water in a saucepan separately.
3. Dip the prepared vegetables into it and add a little salt. Water should not completely cover the product. It is better to drain the excess amount.
4. After boiling again, reduce the heat slightly. Cooking time is usually from 20 to 30 minutes.
5. When ready, drain the water and add oil to the hot potatoes.
6. Mix the products well and then mash them using a masher.
7. Add preheated milk and continue whisking.
8. Without stopping the process, add the beaten egg.

Worthy replacement

The necessary products are not always at hand. Therefore, you need to be prepared for different situations and clearly know, for example, how to make a “pound” without milk. In this case you will need:

for 1.2 kilograms of potatoes - 1 onion, one and a half teaspoons of salt, 2 bay leaves and 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise.

Everything is done very simply:

1. First, you need to peel the potatoes and put them in a saucepan. Large tubers need to be cut so that they can cook better.
2. Pour water over the vegetables and put on fire.
3. Immediately place the whole onion there.
4. After boiling, add salt and bay leaves.
5. As soon as the tubers are boiled, the water should be poured out, leaving only 1 cup of liquid. The onions and leaves can be discarded. They won't be needed anymore.
6. Use a masher to mash the potatoes with rhythmic movements so that there are no lumps left in them.
7. Add mayonnaise and continue vigorous stirring.

The finished puree will be an excellent side dish for almost any hot dish.

Perfect puree

To enhance her culinary experience, a good housewife should know several options on how to make delicious “pounded meat.” After all, in life you need to be prepared for various surprises. For example, there is a recipe that allows you to make mashed potatoes simply unique. To work you will need:

5 potatoes, a lot of salt, olive oil, onion, ground pepper and coriander.

The puree is prepared in three stages:

1. First, the potatoes must be washed and then boiled in the usual way.
2. Separately in a frying pan olive oil fry diced onion. At the very end, add pepper, coriander and a little salt. You need to be very careful with each of these ingredients, as too much of even one of them can ruin everything.
3. Combine both components and mix them well.
4. Mash the fried potatoes.

This aromatic “pound” is perfect as a side dish for fish prepared in any way. To make it as airy as possible, it is better to use a mixer or immersion blender for mixing.

Cut each potato into half or quarters (depending on the size of the potato). Place in a saucepan in which we will cook, and add clean cold water so that it completely covers the potatoes.

Place the pan with potatoes on the fire and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that has formed, reduce heat to medium, add salt and cook until tender. It is very important that the potatoes are of the same type, as some varieties cook quickly, while others take longer to cook. When the potatoes are ready, they can be easily pierced with a knife or fork.

Drain the water from the finished potatoes (we won't need it). Mash the potatoes with a masher.

In principle, the mashed potatoes are ready, but to achieve an airier and more uniform consistency, I beat them with a mixer for 1-2 minutes at medium speed.

Mashed potatoes prepared according to this recipe with milk and butter turn out airy and very tasty. Serve hot with meat gravy, fish or salad.

Bon appetit!

What could be simpler than mashed potatoes? It would seem that this is one of the most banal dishes of our traditional cuisine and everyone can make it (like the no less traditional Olivier). And this is true - with one amendment. Not everyone knows how to make it tasty. What do you need to pay attention to to ensure your mashed potatoes really succeed?

General advice: Never use a blender for mashed potatoes, otherwise they will turn into glue. The ideal option is only a crusher.

1. Choose yellowish-colored potatoes for making mashed potatoes: they boil better.

2. To add flavor to the potatoes, you can add a clove of garlic, a whole onion, or a small whole carrot to the pan while cooking.

3. Don't skimp on whipping the puree. It is not enough to just crush the potatoes, you need to actually beat them - then there will be no lumps in them and that same creaminess will appear.

4. The taste of the puree will be more delicate if you add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt or processed cheese.

5. The puree will be more flexible if you add crushed potatoes a raw egg and beat well.

6. First of all, the potatoes need to be cooked. Sometimes problems in the form of small lumps are precisely the result of undercooked potatoes. Checking for doneness is very simple - if a knife or fork pierces the potato without any resistance, then it is, without a doubt, already cooked. To speed up the cooking of mashed potatoes, you can cut them into smaller pieces rather than boil them whole.

7. Don't skimp on butter. Its presence makes the puree tender, helps achieve a creamy consistency and gives a light creamy taste. The main sign of “stolovsky” mashed potatoes is wateriness, which indicates the absence of fat in it. And butter (and normal butter, with a fat content of about 80%, and not margarine, coquettishly called low-fat butter) is the best thing you can add to puree. Of course, there are situations when it is simply not at hand or it is absolutely forbidden to use it. Then you can forcefully replace the butter with vegetable oil, always refined oil, alone or in combination with finely chopped onions and fried until golden brown. This will make the mashed potatoes significantly more edible. But let's get back to the butter. For 0.5 kg of potatoes you will need 50-100 grams.

8. Presence of liquid. You have two options - either do not completely drain the water in which the potatoes were boiled, or add milk. Liquid is again required to add creaminess - otherwise the potatoes will fall apart into crumbs. Adding milk is not an acquired taste. In my opinion, it adds a certain aftertaste that slightly spoils the impression of the puree, and in addition, exposes the dish to the danger of rapid souring.

9. Do not add cold milk - the puree will turn gray.

10. When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and return the pan (with the potatoes, but without water) to the heat. Keep covered over low heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. This way, the absorbed water will evaporate from the potatoes and they will become more crumbly.

11. Puree goes well with the following additives and spices: white pepper, baked garlic, fried onions, fried mushrooms, chives, parsley, dill, mustard, grated Parmesan, thyme, rosemary.

12. If you need to reduce calories, in addition to replacing milk with potato broth, you can replace half the potatoes with another well-cooked vegetable with a mild taste: turnips, kohlrabi, parsnips, Jerusalem artichoke.