Mashed potatoes is a great side dish for many dishes, as long as it has the right consistency. Unfortunately, if your puree has a sticky texture there is no magic ingredient that can make it soft again, but that doesn't mean it should be thrown away. The solution consists in preparing the other puree, being careful to keep it very soft, and then mixing the two preparations in order to correct the sticky consistency. If you're looking for a quicker fix, transfer the mashed potatoes to an ovenproof dish and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs, butter, and cheese to brown it. With a little patience and creativity, you will be able to serve up a delicious potato side dish.
Ingrediants
Soft Mashed Potatoes
- 450 g of potatoes
- 470 ml of cold water
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter
- 120 ml of cream or milk
Gratinated Mashed Potatoes
- Sticky mashed potatoes
- 25 g of breadcrumbs
- 50 g Parmesan or pecorino, grated
- 55 g of butter
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Make a Soft Mashed Potato to Fix the Sticky One
Step 1. Use a combination of Russet potatoes (with a floury texture) and Yukon Gold (yellow flesh with a thin skin) to make more mashed potatoes
Select a combination of white, floury, starchy potatoes and yellow potatoes, which are generally firmer and more compact, to give the mashed potato the correct texture and flavor. Yellow-fleshed potatoes are tastier, but don't use them alone because they don't mash as well. Use about 450g of white and yellow-fleshed potatoes for every 900g of mashed potatoes to correct.
In most cases, the mashed potato becomes sticky when using a lot of yellow-fleshed potatoes and overworking them during the later stages of preparation
Step 2. Cook the potatoes in the boiling water to soften them
Rinse, scrub and peel the potatoes, then put them in a pot. Pour about 470ml of cold water over the potatoes before turning on the stove over high heat. To prevent some parts from staying raw and others from overcooking, make sure all potatoes cook evenly and simultaneously. Note that the water should never reach full boiling, but should simmer slightly.
Heating the water before boiling the potatoes may save you time, but unfortunately they won't cook evenly
Step 3. Mash the potatoes by hand to prevent them from becoming sticky
Use the manual potato masher instead of putting them in the food processor: in the second case you would save time, but the potatoes would release an excessive amount of starch that would make them sticky. The ideal is to mash the potatoes manually with slow and methodical movements.
Did you know that?
As the potatoes boil, the starch particles increase in volume. To ensure that the puree has the right consistency, the starch particles must be broken, but you must avoid working them too much, otherwise the puree will become sticky.
Step 4. Add the cream and butter at room temperature
Take the cream (or milk) and butter out of the refrigerator and let them cool before adding them to the mashed potatoes. If the ingredients are cold, they will lower the temperature of the potatoes which will therefore have a hard time absorbing them. Take them out of the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes early so they come to room temperature.
If you're short on time, you can heat the cream and butter in a saucepan before adding them to the mashed potatoes
Step 5. Combine the freshly made puree with the sticky one
Add the warm, fluffy puree to the one you want to fix. Mix with the spatula, making slow and delicate movements, to mix the two preparations. Make sure the puree has a smooth texture before serving.
- Remember that if you mix it for too long, you risk that even the freshly made puree will become sticky.
- If you don't want to end up with an overwhelming amount of puree, try combining sticky and fluffy in a 2: 1 ratio.
- If you don't mind mashed potatoes left over and want to make sure it's perfect consistency, use a sticky to fluffy 1: 1 ratio. Proceed by trial and error until it reaches the desired consistency.
Method 2 of 2: Make a Gratinated Mashed Potato
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 175 ° C
Turn it on and let it heat while you assemble the ingredients. Place one of the shelves in the center of the oven to brown the purée without risking burning it.
If the shelf is too close to the top coil of the oven, the ingredients could burn
Step 2. Spread the puree in an ovenproof dish giving it a thin thickness
Level it using a spatula or a large spoon, making sure it is evenly distributed along the edges of the pan. It is important that the thickness is uniform to obtain a perfectly homogeneous gratin.
Use a baking dish with sides that are at least 3 cm high
Step 3. Sprinkle the mashed potatoes with breadcrumbs
Gratin will become very tasty. Spread 25 g of breadcrumbs over the entire surface of the mashed potatoes. It doesn't take much to give flavor, the important thing is to distribute it evenly.
- Use 25g of breadcrumbs for every 2 large potatoes used for mashing.
- You can use ready-made breadcrumbs to save time or make it at home with stale bread and food processor.
Step 4. Add a thin layer of grated cheese
Grate 50 g of Parmesan or pecorino and sprinkle the cheese over the mashed potatoes and breadcrumbs. Try to distribute it as evenly as possible so that the puree is evenly coated with cheese.
- Use 50g of grated cheese for every 900g of potatoes used for mashing.
- If you prefer, you can use a different cheese, such as cheddar.
Step 5. Add some flakes of butter
Distribute them evenly over the puree. The butter must be at room temperature to be able to easily cut it into small pieces (1 cm) that allow you to distribute it evenly over the whole purée. You don't have to cover the entire surface of the puree with butter, just distribute it in small pieces here and there evenly to obtain an even gratin.
- Use 55g of butter for every 900g of potatoes used to make the mash.
- If you prefer, you can use melted butter to make it easier to spread it over the puree.
Step 6. Brown the mashed potatoes in the oven for at least 10-15 minutes or until a golden, inviting crust forms
Slide the pan onto the shelf in the center of the oven. If possible, leave the light on to easily assess the cooking point. If after 10-15 minutes the breadcrumbs are still not browned enough, let them brown for 5 more minutes. When a crisp, golden crust has formed on the puree, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
