How to cook perfect potato puré

Anyone can boil potatoes in water until they turn soft and then pound them into a mash. However, the perfectly smooth, silky, tasty, and satisfying potato puré they serve you in a proud restaurant requires other measures:

Use butter

It’s sad news for anyone counting calories, but the secret behind an amazing potato puré is generous amounts of fine butter. The good news is that it makes the puré so tasty and so hearty that you are satisfied with less.

Use a lot of butter

There are top chefs who recommend up to 30 percent butter in a puré. That is no small amount, but keep in mind that we are not talking about spoonfuls of mash from the canteen, but rather one of several components on a perfectly balanced plate.

Give the butter time to warm

Butter, cream or milk that goes into the puré should preferably not be too cold. Take the ingredients out of the fridge for a while. A good idea is to warm milk or cream on the stove before adding it. This speeds up the process and makes work on the puré easier (see Don’t overwork the puré, below) and you avoid cooling down the boiled potatoes so that they have to be warmed up again.

Don’t make puré in advance

Mashed potatoes have a tendency to settle and to become thickset if it is left standing for too long, not least if allowed to cool. If you have to make it in advance, keep the puré warm and use a cover in one form or another.

The puré needs to be whisked lightly with a fork again before serving. Add a little more butter and/or milk if necessary.

Choose potatoes for puré

Potatoes are not only waxy or floury, they can also have more or less flavor, and higher or lower levels of starch. The starch, in turn, will affect the behavior of the puré.

More or less starch?

Waxy potatoes contain less starch and can provide excellent flavor, but if used exclusively they can give rise to a gluey and ”wet” texture.
Potatoes rich in starch are easier to work with and the starch absorbs butter and cream so that the puré gets a smooth, fluffy texture.
Professionals disagree on proportions, but for the sake of balance between flavor and texture it is a good idea to mix both varieties.

Floury potatoes

Some floury varieties are Desiree, Estima, King Edward, Maris Piper, Rosamunda, Early Puritan, Evergood, Linzer, Melody, Blue Congo, Porvita and Red Baron.

Waxy potatoes

Some waxy varieties are Charlotte, Maris Peer Jersey Royals, Bintje, Asterix, Viktoria, Maria and Annabelle.

Boil potatoes for mash

When boiling potatoes for a smooth and creamy puré the potatoes should be peeled or at least thoroughly scrubbed. As a consequence of this a lot of nutrients are lost, but it is a small price to pay for that rich loveliness….

Start with cold water

If potatoes are submerged in boiling water the outside will cook and go soft very fast, while the core lags behind. Therefore:

Use a pot which leaves a generous margin to the top and cover the potatoes – but no more – with cold water.
Heat until it boils, but then lower the temperature to a simmer.
Most potatoes – depending on variety, time of year, size, and condition – will be done after 15 to 20 minutes.

Simmer, don’t boil

Peeled potatoes and/or chunks of potato will fall to pieces in water at full boil. Evern after trying to pour off the water you will get a diluted mess with much liquid and little flavor. Simmer the potatoes with care so that they are cooked without falling apart.

Same sized potatoes

You don’t want the potatoes to fall apart and you want them to be ready at the same time, so they should be roughly the same size. If necessary, cut them into chunks.

Salt in the water

When the starch in potatoes boils it swells and absorbs water. If there is salt in the water it will also be absorbed and enhance the flavors in the potato. The potatoes are flavored “from within”.

Potatoes with the peel left on absorb less. Winter potatoes with thick peels might not absorb water at all.

Pour off all water

Pour of all the water and do not rinse. The objective is to dilute flavors as little as possible, which is why the water should only cover the spuds. Steaming potatoes is not a bad idea, but might take some time.

Mash potatoes

The boiled potatoes will become mash, but that does not mean you can treat them any old way in the pot:

Whole, dry potatoes

The boiled potatoes should preferably be intact. If you want to concentrate flavors even more, dry them in the oven for a while before mashing.

Room temp butter

As mentioned, the butter should be allowed to warm up for a while – but it must not melt, because this makes the fat and the proteins separate and takes away some of the flavors you want.

Don’t overwork the puré

The longer and the harder you work the puré, the more starch you will be setting free. This can produce a glue-like texture. Just do what it takes to bring the ingredients together (if they are all room temp it won’t take much time at all) and stop working as soon as you have the result you want.

Different results with different tools

With an old-fashioned potato press and the right touch you will get a fluffy puré with more “body”. This tool is hard to beat.
If you use a mixer the puré will turn out smoother and creamier, but with an increased risk that the puré will be overworked.

Flavor potato puré

It’s not only the wonderful texture you want…

Don’t go easy on the salt

Potatoes and butter are both mild ingredients and it – unfortunately – takes generous amounts of salt to bring the puré to life. However, don’t go too far and leave a margin for guests who have more sensitive taste buds than you do.

Traditional flavoring

A traditonal potato puré contains potatoes, salt, rich dairy products, and not much else. There is good reason why many chefs choose not to stray from this silky smooth, mild, and delicious mix. But experimenting, as always, is allowed:

Less traditional flavoring

Try out new combinations of your own, but some suggestions are: Garlic, ramson, strong cheeses, horse radish, truffles, fresh green herbs, nutmeg, other root vegetables, and more.

Potato mash or potato puré?

What’s the difference?

”Puré” is kitchen French and a fancy word for what could also go by the name of ”mash”. But there are some real differences:
Potato puré contains more butter and should – as the name implies – always be a silky smooth experience. No lumps are allowed.
On this page, you will have noticed, we have used both ”puré” and ”mash” so as to keep all food enthusiasts happy and pleased.