Mashed Potato

A mixer could make it too 'gloopy' I think.

I usually use 'Maris Piper', cook, drain and dry off on the heat then add butter and some milk whilst it is still on a low heat , just to warm the milk, then mash with a metal hand masher. Sometimes just whip them with a table fork after that. (Only if they misbehave.)
Some potatoes mash better than others. King Edward are fluffy but 'go' in the water.

Ps alternatively ask your brother to come a bit earlier to mash the spuds himself.

You can't please everyone. I like my potato to be quite liquid and creamy with lots of milk and butter added, although I also like garlic and oil 'smashed' potatoes. However DBH likes his mashed but still quite hard and lumpy, with hardly any addition. For you, overcook your potatoes, till they are starting to fall apart, and mash them with still quite a lot of cooking water in them. That may make them too runny but not gloopy, as rosequartz is right, they end up like wallpaper paste.

Instead, put the potato in an uncovered bowl in the microwave. Keep heating them and turning them until they are fluffy and dry. Maybe 4 or 5 mins. It's the only way I can keep both me and DBH happy.

I use Maris Piper potatoes too, they do allow more leeway with boiling time. I add a little butter but not milk - and the thought of adding olive oil makes me feel ill!

Go to Tesco's and buy a packet of their frozen buttery mash. It comes in small lumps. you tip out as much as youi want and microwave it, adding some more butter if you fancy it and giving it a stir.

It is delicious, and no-one will ever know that you didn't mash it yourself. I have not tried any other makes (except Auntie Bessie's, that is equally good) but a friend had used several own-brand ones and says they are all excellent.

Another advantage is that when you are feeding one grandchild who loves mash and hates oven chips, and another who loves oven chips and hates mash, you can keep both happy with minimum effort.

Or buy a potato ricer - I have just remembered I have one in the bottom of the cupboard, used once! Must get it out, and get in the habit of using it (and washing the darned thing up)

Just think, Fluffy Clouds, while you're mashing. Add butter and little splashes of milk until you get the effect.

All the advice on how to mash doesn't help the aching wrist. If you are mashing a lot of spuds by hand, it takes a lot of wrist power.

rosequartz is right. A ricer produces perfect, fine mashed potato. Don't use an electric mixer - it produces mash like wallpaper paste.

I use a ricer and agg lots of butter or garlicky olive oil, made by gently heating olive oil with a couple of squashed but not peeled garlic cloves, and some nutmeg! Or a supermarket's family sized ready made pack - not frozen!

Thinly sliced potatoes, parboiled, arranged like scales and brushed with melted butter is good too! I love fish pie!

I've just got out of bed and had a look to see if there were any answers to my OP. I'm sitting here grinning. What helpful and witty replies. Thanks everyone. Not sure what a ricer is.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OXO-Good-Grips-Durable-Stainless-Steel-Potato-Ricer-Puree-/161054875359?pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item257f9e5edf
I find the secret is to over-cook the potatoes, otherwise there will always be lumps, I boil for 35 minutes. Drain and return to the pan and shake over the heat until the base of the pan is dry before seasoning and mashing with a little milk and butter if desired, although on low calorie days I don't bother.

Maris Pipers, cut into similar size pieces, drained and dried. I put a clean tea towel over the pan whilst I get the masher, butter or oil together. Before mashing, I cut the spuds up small with a knife, just slice away till they're smashed, then bash with the metal potato masher. I do add butter, salt n pepper for fish pie etc, but I love garlicky mash, with olive oil. Just remembered, there is some left over plain mash in the fridge, just waiting to be made into fishcakes

Frozen mash - in the microwave - bingo!

Hear, hear, mishap

I didn't know it was possible to make proper mashed potatoes without butter

We love fish pie and I am wondering what we will do next winter as mashed potato is right off the menu on our low GI diet. Can't quite picture it with pearl barley or quinoa somehow. No problem with the butter or milk obviously.

If eggs are allowed, how about a 'meringue' topping Mamie? Separate eggs, whisk whites then fold in yolks with seasoning and grated cheese. Brown in oven.

Mamie fat lowers the GI of a food - so a big dollop of butter added to the mash should do the trick (smile)

Thanks, river. I was thinking along those lines too but wasn't sure how to put it.

Thanks Bags the egg idea sounds worth a try. I have read that too Riverwalk, but we have always added butter and milk to potatoes, sauces to pasta (who doesn't?), curry with rice. Can't escape the fact that with low carbs the weight is continuing to come off. My cholesterol has dropped right down too, despite maintaining the butter, olive oil and milk levels.

I also add any bacon that is looking sad by chopping it and frying slowly to make it crispy. And, thinly sliced spring onions softened in butter first. I need mashed potatoes now!!

While I still had my 16 cu ft chest freezer (of blessed memory) I used to make batches of duchesse potatoes and open freeze them, then store them in a large ice-cream container in the freezer. They were ready to be heated through in the oven for the last part of the cooking time of the main dish. No effort needed.