Mash potato

Mash potato – Pire krumpir

As I said at the beginning English is not my first language, Croatian is. This is a reason then now and then I am using some Croatian names for food, just for fun of it.

Mash potato is very common side dish or a part of the main dish, like shepherd’s pie. It is a simple to make and there are probably few dozens of ways on the net telling you how to do it, and here is mine.

Just remember for proper mash potato you need real potato, not something powdery, instant from bag or carton box.

Those 3 potatoes are more then enough for 2 persons.

Peel them and cut in small or big cubes. Because I use food mill, I usually cut them in a big chunks.

Remember always start cooking potatoes in cold water. If you add them in hot water, cooking of the spuds will be unequal, which can result in mushy thing in your pot.

Here you can play also with the final taste and a colour. In the water you can add a teaspoon of turmeric or paprika or some other spice that you like, just please do not overdid it.

Cover your potatoes with generous amount of water and add salt to taste.

After 20 min, drain potatoes and put in the food mill. Food mill is and old kitchen tool that has been in use for many generations in my family. It was always in use by the end of the summer when people were making homemade tomato puree, passata or tomato salsa (šalsa). Today I am mostly using the thing for potatoes.

Place under the mill same pot in which you have been boiling spuds, and put one spoon of butter. By pressing the potatoes, you will get finely pressed hot strings of potato, which will with own temperature melt the butter. After that is a question do you like to use cooking cream or milk. Just with the wooden spoon incorporate cream or milk, maybe some more salt and if you like pepper.

Now your mash potato is done and is question how you will present it on the plate. It can go directly like this or you can play with it. Per example this time I have make it little bit runnier, buy adding extra milk.

In generously buttered small ceramic baking dish, I have transferred my mash potatoes and sprinkled on top some polenta. In preheated oven, 200 C, I baked it for next 15 min, until gentle brown crust developed. And that is it.

Bon Appetit – Dobar tek