Curtis Stone's garlic and herb mashed potato

Inspired to whip up some creamy mashed potato after watching Junior MasterChef? Curtis Stone reveals his must-try recipe and secret tips for making the best mashed potato ever.

Curtis Stone's creamy garlic and herb mashed potato in a dish with a wooden spoon, secondary dish and salt to the side.

Serves

8

Prep

10m

Note: + 5 mins standing time

Cooking

20m

Ingredients

  • 2kg brushed potatoes, peeled, cut into 4cm pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk, warmed
  • 175g butter, at room temperature, chopped
  • 1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

STEP 1

Place the potato in a large saucepan with the garlic cloves. Cover with cold water and season with salt. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook, partially covered, for 20 mins or until tender. Drain well. Set aside for 5 mins to steam.

STEP 2

Working in batches, press the potato through a potato ricer into the saucepan. Alternatively, return potato to the saucepan and use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Stir in the milk, butter, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Want to know how Curtis Stone makes the perfect mashed potato? Check out his tips on how to nail it every time. 

TIP 1 

Salt the cooking water before boiling the potatoes. This will allow the salt to infuse throughout the potatoes, enhancing their delicious flavour.

TIP 2 

Cut the potatoes into fairly equally-sized pieces so that they cook evenly.

TIP 3 

To test for doneness, pierce a piece of potato with the tip of a small sharp knife. The knife should glide through the potato with ease, and then the potato should slide off easily, without breaking apart.

TIP 4

Allow the excess moisture on the boiled potatoes to steam off before mashing. This will help ensure light and fluffy mashed potatoes.

TIP 5

Use a potato ricer for the smoothest texture. Press the hot potatoes through the ricer – hot potatoes will break apart easier, which is what you want at this point.

TIP 6

Keep your mashed potato warm in a double boiler, or transfer it to a buttered casserole dish, then cover and keep warm in the oven. Baked mashed potatoes will actually become a bit fluffier.

TIP 7

When you’re making mashed potatoes for tonight’s dinner, cook a few more potatoes in the boiling water to make a bit more mash to use tomorrow. Turn that extra mash into a topping for your shepherd’s pie or stuff the excess mashed potatoes into corn tortillas and pan-fry them for crispy on the outside tacos with a fluffy, yummy filling (serve tortillas closed and topped with shredded cabbage, coriander, and your favorite salsa).

Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.