CarolCooks2…In my kitchen…Mashed Potatoes…

The Potato…comes in all sizes and colours from purple, yellow, white and reds…The Potato is healthy it’s how you cook it and what you put in it or on it which can play havoc with your health and your waistline…

My mother served potatoes at every meal hardly ever rice or pasta although in later years it became more popular with the British…

She served them mashed, whole, fried, chipped, roasted or baked in their jackets…the recipe which I posted for the Boulangere Potatoes is one of my favourites and was very popular on the blog so as it is potato month I thought I would post some various ways of cooking and serving them …today we are looking at the variations of mashed potato…

I still use a potato masher and sometimes a wooden spoon to finish them off…of course, many people, restaurants and cooking shows use a potato ricer…it apparently gives smother, lump-free mash however if you apply a bit of elbow grease my mash is always smooth and creamy just like my mother used to make…

Personally if you cut your potatoes an even size then cook them in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes depending on the potatoes you are using but a knife going in smoothly tells you if they are cooked.

Potato water is the water that potatoes have been boiled in. The potatoes release their starchy goodness into the water as they are cooked. The potato water can then be used as a substitute for milk and it makes your bread deliciously moist. As well, it can be used as a thickener that is naturally gluten-free.

If you boil your potatoes in unsalted water ...there is another use which not many people know…Starchy water will spur the release of plant nutrients in the soil so it makes a great addition. … Use unsalted potato water, let it cool for a while, and then use it to water your household plants. This works because starchy water spurs the release of nutrients in the soil…I also had a friend who makes his sourdough with potato water just like his grandmother taught him…

Now we have cooked and drained our potatoes I just cover the pan with a clean tea towel it just dries them out a little before mashing as the tea towel absorbs the steam.

Butter and milk/potato water were all my mother ever used…she also never used to melt the butter and heat the milk like all the recipes today tell you…Personally, I think we all have our own way of doing our mashed potatoes, some use a food processor but be very careful as nobody likes gluey mash, some people prefer to scrub the potatoes and cook or steam them in their skins …I like doing new potato this way as then I just lightly crush them add butter and maybe some chopped chives…Delicious.

Now you have a nice pan of creamy mash let’s get down to what mashed potatoes can be used for…

Sausage, onions and mash with lovely gravy, Liver, bacon and mash with lovely gravy or shepherds pie which is made with some tasty minced meat with vegetables topped with creamy mash maybe some grated cheese and popped in the oven until golden brown…are your taste zinging yet…my hubby would be quite happy to eat one of these on a regular basis…

Mashed potato can be used as a topping for a fisherman’s or Fish pie...it can be made into potato croquettes lovely breaded little portions which are lovely with salad or with a nice piece of steamed fish with a delicious sauce.

Want to add a little extra to your mash rather than mash with potato water or milk and butter…sometimes I use a bit of cream instead of milk or mayonnaise is very nice with mashed potato don’t knock it until you have tried it…add some grated cheddar cheese and some chopped chives.

The Irish are famous for their Champ or Colcannon ...Champ is mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions (scallions) and milk. Colcannon is Champ, with the addition of cabbage and sometimes some herbs.

The word colcannon is from the Gaelic term “cal ceannann” which means white-headed cabbage…but like with all traditional recipes it can vary I have seen recipes using savoy cabbage and even kale… In Ireland, colcannon is served as a special treat with ham or Irish bacon.

My favourite recipe from my childhood was my mum’s Fish Cakes…she would cook a nice piece of white fish in milk with bay leaves, salt and pepper…Once cooked and the potato had cooled down she would flake the fish and stir it into the ready mashed potato she would add some finely chopped spring onions or parsley then shape them into patties dip them in egg and seasoned flour then let them firm up in the fridge as they can be soft then gently fry in some butter or olive oil until they are golden brown on both sides…Enjoy!

This was a treat for us and looking back I suppose it made the fish go further…but served with some salad or vegetables and a tomato sauce I loved them…You really don’t need a recipe for these just about equivalent amounts of potato to fish…I have made these with fish pieces which ofttimes the fishmonger sells or I may add a handful of grated cheese, some sweetcorn but I still prefer them plain and simple like my mum’s…my kids used to love them when they were toddlers.

What is your favourite meal made with mashed potatoes???

Thank you for dropping by I hope to see you tomorrow for Tropical Fridays xxx

 

51 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…In my kitchen…Mashed Potatoes…”

  1. Pingback: CarolCooks2…Friday Food Reviews…Potatoes! | Retired? No one told me!

  2. Bette A. Stevens

    Wow! I’ve sure learned a lot about boiling and using mashed potatoes today, Carol. The fish cakes also brought back fond memories of my childhood as Mama used to make fish cakes for us too! Saving and sharing… Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. patc44

    Reading this has made my mouth salivate. Fish cakes and rissoles were a staple food of my youth. As you say cut potatoes into same size pieces and mask the life out of them! Butter and a finely chopped onion. Then depending on what my dad had requested for his dinner – either a tin of corned beef for rissoles or mam used tinned salmon for her fish cakes. After draining and taking off the skin and the bone, then smothering them in beaten egg and yellow breadcrumbs she would gently fry them in a pan.
    I can taste them now. It evokes so many childhood memories. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      You are very welcome, Pat thank you for popping in and leaving a valued comment my mum used to bake potatoes scoop the flesh out of the skin then mash them with corned beef and put the mash back in the skins and then just brown the top of the potato..lovely they were 🙂

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  4. joylennick

    Mashed potatoes with…liver and bacon…fish cakes…ham off the bone & mustard…lamb chops…thick gravy and spring greens. Bring it on, Carol. Not at the same time though Yummy! When our lads (as teenagers) complained they were ‘too boring’ (?!) I added chopped spring onion and even put curry in at one stage! Thank you! x

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Good to hear, Robbie just how our mothers taught us and just as creamy and lump free its mainly in the cooking of the potatoes…Sliced potatoes this week…Hugs x

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…September 12th-September 18th 2021…Environmental A-Z, Mashed potatoes, Renewable Energy, Fairtrade Chocolate and Apple Dumplings… | Retired? No one told me!

  7. petespringerauthor

    I love all kinds of potatoes. I feel like it is one of the simplest and underappreciated foods around. Part of the attraction for me is the many ways that we can prepare potatoes.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. johnrieber

    SO much to love here Carol! Fish Cakes are heavenly! The tips for utilizing the potato water are great – and there is a true story about a French Chef who was accused of mis-labeling his mashed potatoes, because a dish must have 50% potato to be called that….well, they tested it and it was 51% potato – the rest was cream and butter! Now THAT’S a mashed potato dish to die for – literally!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Wow, I think you are correct there, John…I love butter but…I agree fish cakes are good a thing of my childhood…Thank you for commenting John…Have a great weekend 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

    I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like, and mostly I just love them, from mashed potatoes to potato chips and everything in between. My mom used the potato water when she made bread and her bread was always wonderful. However, I’m seldom making bread at the same time I’m serving boiled potatoes!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Yes the potato is very versatile and much loved around the world..the potato water does keep for 24 hrs in the fridge any longer and it goes sweet and will spoil the bread…But like you the twain never meet or very rarely 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  14. BACK ROADS AND OTHER STORIES

    Oh, these fish cakes look delicious! We add some cream cheese to our mashed potatoes and it’s really tasty. ANother yummy mashed potato dish that we love is moussaka, but really, I could eat mashed potatoes every day for the rest of my life (I don’t) 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Ohhh that sounds delicious, Janet never thought of that…I have only made Moussaka with sliced potatoes and bechamel not mashed potato interesting another twist on a recipe…Thank you, Janet …Have a great weekend 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Norah

    Great uses of mashed potato, Carol. It’s one of my husband’s favourites, though being from N. Ireland, he’s also fond of champ. I didn’t know about the uses of potato water you mention – interesting. Mostly I mash my potatoes with butter and milk, but sometimes use mayonnaise as an alternative – very yummy. I also have a recipe that mixes mustard into mashed potato and then bakes it with cheese on top – also yummy.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Pingback: CarolCooks2…In my kitchen…Mashed Potatoes… – MobsterTiger

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