Lumpy mash an watery chicken question

During the summer the potatoes are 'old' and don't make good mash I find. At the moment I'm using red skinned potatoes, great mash and roast. If spuds are poor I use a potato ricer but I agree it's a bit pain. As for chicken, the pan and oil needs to be hot when you put in the chicken. It does depend on how much added water the chicken has. Even free range has added water ? if you can afford a butchers chicken you may have more luck ?

You could steam the tatties, they don't get water logged but can be more difficult to mash ?

I steam the potatoes first, then dry off and then turn into bowl in which I've put some butter. Use hand whisk to break them down, add crème fraîche, whisk again and everyone comments on how good it is so worth a try?

Commercial chicken is injected with water to make it more tender. Also the way chickens are produced, they only live until they are about 8 weeks old so the muscle hasn't had a chance to get tough and the chickens are bred to eat almost continuously. We started producing our own chicken a couple of years ago and there is no comparison to commercially produced chicken, it is heavenly. A little more thought might have to go into the cooking of it, slightly slower but it is beautiful and our birds have a happy healthy life.

Same here, ichtb - and the taste is so different too. Sometimes a bit tough though. I mostly casserole ours.

Try Masha Electric Potato and Vegetable Masher £29. It is such a clever little hand held machine and it always produces perfect mash without going through all that pummelling and sieving effort. It will do large quantities and it does egg whites for meringues too with another little attachment. Someone said Kibg Edward or Maris Piper work best. I agree. (Spoken by The Queen of Mash in my family.)

Am totally incapable of judging how much mash I need for shepherds/fish pies so buy frozen. Never thaw it just put the little tubes straight on top, gives an effect like a judges wig to the toppings - how lazy is that!! But I don't care ?

If potatoes are lumpy it might be because some bits are uncooked. So cut potatoes into smaller chunks. I boil/simmer in salted water and keep an eye to see how they are doing toward end of cook time, maybe turning off heat and let sit in hot water with lid on for a bit. Defo Delia tip to use hot milk, I add to hot pot with strained potatoes with decent chunk of butter and use hand masher. Add bit of black pepper and check ... should be salty enough from cooking water and butter.

The secret to amazing mash is this.After you drain the spuds,set the pot aside but cover it with a tea towel for a few minutes.Then use a ricer,never fails.As for chicken,the only way to cook them to golden crispy perfection is to use a rotisserie if you are lucky enough to have one

I agree ricer and rooster potatoes with a little salt . Also cut potatoes into small cubes about 1" square. Boil for 15/20 mins . Grin

As pp said, you haven't cooked the potatoes right through if they're lumpy, and don't over mash them or they'll get gluey (easy to do if you use the mixer)

Watery chicken? By organically reared free range instead of cheaper ones. Yes, I know it's expensive but to me it's worth it for ethical reasons and taste.
If you don't want to do that then roast on a wire rack over a tray that will catch the liquid.

I buy mashed potato and add extras because I find there very lumpy but I am thinking of buying a ricer that supposed to me the best.

I like the ricer too but I agree it is a pain to wash up- even in dishwasher.
I always beat my mash with a fork once the butter & milk is in. Changes the texture completely & leaves it so smooth- I may try the Kenwood next time having seen other posts though- although the fork is much easier to wash up.
Recently I only had baking potatoes- usually buy Rooster- & they mashed beautifully.

Absolutely agree with Loopylou. Use free-range chicken and you'll see a difference. It's an ethical (and taste, & health) no-brainer. (We can sometimes find it reduced for quick sale - and pop it straight into the freezer.)

Once cooked a load of potatoes for a dinner party fish pie topping. I decided to cut corners and used a food processor to mash them. The finished consistency was something like a slab of pastry and extremely difficult to spread over a warm sauce! I occasionally use a hand held mixer which gets rid of the lumps.

Floury taters always- red desiree or Kind Edwards, boiled then seasoned and whisked with hand mixer, add butter if you like and milk only if needed. Why not fry onions first then the chicken. If the chicken oozes water, reduce it to concentrate the flavour then put it all together.

I like the sound of those Kind Edwards, Bristololdtrout, much nicer than Horrid Henries or Nasty Nigels.

If you think UK chicken in watery... US chicken is absolutely HORRID that way. It comes swimming in thin chicken blood. And it's not even that chicken's fluids. When processed the 'juice' gets all collected, then added to the packaging. There was a nasty TV programme about it on PBS when I lived there.

I was amazed when I moved here the first time in 1992 to find how nice and DRY and creamy UK chicken meat was. I now only buy free-range which has real taste and a better texture.

But US chickens? All that liquid is part of the weight, so when an American says chicken is cheaper there...yeah, but there is so much water/blood and other crap...real crap. You need a strong stomach to read this. So you are luckier in that EU regs are better, and surely the UK will carry on with a good standard in the future.

www.pcrm.org/health/reports/the-five-worst-contaminants-in-chicken-products

When I visit the US, I never buy grocery store chicken, only from a butcher who has a local supply of free range.

Some time ago I googled mashed potato to make ahead and I think it was the Martha Stuart or Pioneer woman site that said for thanksgiving she makes the mash the day before and reheats it in the oven. The secret is to mash in soft cheese (philly) full fat and loads of butter. I now always do this if I am having guests and it works a treat. I know it isn't healthy but hey, to have that part done ahead is worth it and it is only once in a while. Dear Delia says to use a food mixer to mash but you have to be careful because they can go gluey.

Never found a decent shop potato, now we grow our own, they store well and this Desiree variety mash, roast, chip, and jacket bake brilliantly.

I would ignore dear Delia just this once!
It would go gluey and gloopy
The science is simple: Boiled potatoes develop swollen starch cells. When ruptured during mashing, the cells release starch. The more cells are ruptured, the gummier the mashed potatoes. So if you use an electric mixer or food processor to mash your potatoes, you'll probably beat them mercilessly and end up with wallpaper paste.

I have frozen shepherd's pies with mashed potato on the top and they have come out better than those from M&S, as their mashed potato on pies tends to be gloopy.

Nanna58 I would agree that growing your own is the way to go even if you do it in a potato sack. No digging and lots of scrummy potatoes.

You need to understand what potato varieties are the best for which purpose and grow accordingly.

Organic free range is also the way to go as regards chicken. Taste, texture and flavour par excellence. The problem for the average family is the price.

Oh Synonymous I'm ashamed to admit it but the only thing I can grow is weeds. Honestly I can bearly grow grass. When I retire I'll be on gransnet for gardening advice.

Price is an issue for organic free range chicken , but I would rather have that less often, than frequently eat a substandard, and more importantly badly cared for, hen.

I use dried potato for mash. Packet from Lidl. I find their chicken Ok.