Mashed potato

Most authors recommend the use of "floury" potatoes, although "waxy" potatoes are sometimes used for a different texture.[3] The best-known floury varieties are King Edward, russet, golden wonder, and red rascal.[4]

Butter, milk or cream, salt, and pepper are usually added. Many other seasonings may also be used, including herbs (notably parsley and chives), spices (notably nutmeg), garlic, cheese, bacon, sour cream, crisp onion or spring onion, caramelized onion, and mustard.[5]

One French variation adds egg yolk for pommes duchesse or Duchess potatoes; piped through a pastry tube into wavy ribbons and rosettes, brushed with butter and lightly browned. Pomme purée (potato puree) uses considerably more butter than normal mashed potato - up to one part butter for every two parts potato.[3][6] In low-calorie or non-dairy variations, milk, cream and butter may be replaced by soup stock or broth. Aloo Bharta, an Indian sub-continent variation, uses chopped onions, mustard (oil, paste or seeds), chili pepper, coriander leaves and other spices.

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  Industrial cooking of mashed potatoes in a steam-jacketed combi kettle
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  A plate of sausage and mashed potatoes, with cabbage and onion gravy, commonly known as "bangers and mash"
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  Close-up view of mashed potatoes with butter and chives

An early recipe is found in Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery, in 1747.[1] Her recipe mashed them in a saucepan with milk, salt, and butter.[7]

Mashed potato served with Frankfurter Rippchen, sauerkraut and mustard

Mashed potato can be served as a side dish, and is often served with sausages in the British Isles, where they are known as bangers and mash. Mashed potato can be an ingredient of various other dishes, including shepherd's and cottage pie, pierogi, colcannon, dumplings, potato pancakes, potato croquettes and gnocchi. Particularly runny mashed potatoes are called mousseline potatoes.[8]

In the United Kingdom, cold mashed potato can be mixed with fresh eggs and then fried until crisp to produce a potato cake. This dish is thought to have originated in Cornwall and is a popular breakfast item. When instead combined with meat and other leftover vegetables, the fried dish is known as bubble and squeak.

Mashed potatoes may be eaten with gravy, typically meat gravy, though vegetable gravy is becoming more common as the vegetarian and vegan trends see a rise in popularity.

A potato masher can be used to mash the potatoes.[9] A potato ricer produces a uniform, lump-free, mash.[10]

In India mashed potatoes made with spices, fried or not, are called Chaukha. Chaukha is used in samosas in India and with Littee specially in Bihar.[8]

Media related to Mashed potatoes at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of mashed potato at Wiktionary