huffingtonpost - 1 days ago

Mashed potatoSeasoned cooks will already know that pasta water is a key ingredient for silky, creamy sauces. The starches present in the liquid help the sauce bind to the carbs, and it means the coating looks glossier and smoother, too.So why don’t we do the same with other starchy water – say, from our potatoes?Well, apparently, we should. According to the New York Times Cooking, the liquid gold is the “secret” to smooth, buttery spuds. “Save some of it after you boil the potatoes, and after mashing, stir it back in, a tablespoon at a time, until they come together,” they wrote. I thought I’d give it a try (with a twist), and I’ve been converted. Why does potato water help to make mash creamy?When you boil something starchy in water – be it rice, pasta, or potato – some of the carbohydrate escapes your food and enters the fluid. Different variations and concentrations of starch and water (from cornstarch slurry to pasta water) can be used to thicken and emulsify sauces. Of course, mashed potato is not a sauce (unless you really, really go ham on the butter). But this trick benefits the dish by allowing the potatoes to become fluffier. It’s also a good way to make mashed potatoes in advance, as the added liquid means the side is less likely to stiffen and become rubbery on reheating. Personally, I added an extra step: I put a heaped tablespoon of milk powder in my hot potato water. That’s because 1) creamier is better, 2) I have never regretted adding powdered milk to anything, and 3) the milk you add to mash is more effective at making it creamy and smooth if added when hot.This way, I got the starchiness of the water and the creaminess of milk without having to dilute one or the other, and I didn’t have to bother heating up milk in a separate pan. Milk powder on the left: mash with Bratwurst, sauerkraut and mustard on the rightHow did it taste? Folks, I am never going back. The mash was the smoothest, creamiest mash I’ve tried – and as the New York Times Cooking pointed out, it means your “mashed potatoes taste purely like potato”. Of course, it wasn’t the only addition I put in. I also added a healthy whack of butter and sour cream, which obviously added to the silkiness.Still, I’ve done that before, and it’s never tasted as good as this did. And for the low cost of £0.00, I reckon it’s an added ingredient I’ll be sticking with.Related...I Tried a 2-Minute Trick To Make Porridge More Delicious, And I ll Never Go Back Swamp Potatoes Have Gone Viral, And It s The Easiest Slow Cooker Recipe I ve SeenThis Storage Trick Can Keep Potatoes Fresh For 6 Months

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