We make a lot of mashed potatoes and we love them. I have, in fact, rehired a chef twice after firing him just because his mashed potatoes were so good. They were his thing. He would prepare them with great dedication every time, leaving no lumps behind. I can often be seen walking around my kitchen, picking up some mashed potatoes, topping it with crispy onions, fried garlic, bacon and a bit of hot sauce, and having it as a snack.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    00 h 15 m

Ingredients

  • 800 gm large potatoes
  • 60 gm cold butter
  • 200 ml milk
  • 50 ml cream
  • Salt to taste
  • A handful of chives  

Preparation

  1. There are two ways to go about this. You can either boil the potatoes in salted water with the skin on. Or you can wrap them in foil and bake in an oven. The latter method is more time consuming, but yields better results. That said, I find it also leads to a whole lot of wasted foil.
  2. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt and boil the potatoes for 30-40 minutes (a lot depends on the size of the spuds).
  3. Drain potatoes and peel. Immediately place the hot potatoes on an inverted flour sieve and press through with the back of a spoon or a dough scraper. Don’t wait for potatoes to cool because it will result in grainy texture.
  4. In a saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a gentle boil and season with little salt.
  5. Toss in the potatoes and use a whisk or a spatula to mix thoroughly. Drop in the cold butter a bit at a time, incorporating it completely.
  6. Sprinkle the chopped chives. Serve with grilled meats or vegetables.
Written by

Viraf Patel

Viraf Patel, one of India’s most exciting young chefs, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for July. His culinary adventures, which began fairly early in life, have taken him from Zur Rossweid in Zurich to some of the finest dining establishments in India. Over a career spanning 20 years, he has worked at, or consulted with, Indigo, The Table, The Tasting Room, Salt Water Grill, among other places. He was the Chef-Partner at Café Zoe, before joining Olive Bar & Kitchen in Mumbai as the Executive Chef. His food philosophy is rooted in his belief in truly honest cooking. With a deep knowledge of ingredients and applications, he works to make recipes relevant to our age.

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