Mashed potato achieves perfect creaminess by incorporating one frequently overlooked ingredient: crème fraîche, according to Michelin-trained chef Poppy O'Toole, known as Poppy Cooks. In partnership with Nanna Tate, she shared essential tips for creating flavoursome, lump-free mash.
Crème Fraîche Over Milk
Traditional mash uses butter, warm milk, and salt. Poppy recommends replacing milk with crème fraîche for elevated flavour. She said: "One of my favourite ways to have mash is using crème fraiche. I've done it for years, butter and crème fraîche and then some herbs, some chives, some parsley all chopped through into it, plenty of salt."
She explained: "Crème fraîche has got that slight tartness, like that slight sourness to it, it just brings even more flavour to it." For those watching their waistline, she noted: "You can get your fat-free crème fraîches, or your light crème fraîche if you want to. Personally, I'm not, I like the full fats."
Avoiding Lumps: Boiling and Drying
Poppy emphasised cooking potatoes longer than usual: "I boil them a little bit further than I think most people do. So, I go for like 15 to 20 minutes so they are already almost mash." After draining, she steams them dry: "I leave them to steam dry, like I would with my roast potatoes for again probably about 10 minutes, so they're really dry. You don't want a lot of liquid in your mash because, otherwise, it loses its integrity and then it becomes a purée."
Sieving for Silkiness
Instead of a masher, Poppy pushes potatoes through a fine sieve: "It makes it easier, otherwise you're going to have some bits that are lumpy. It takes a bit of time, and it's a bit tedious, but it does give you this beautiful, smooth mash."
Butter Quantity
She uses generous butter: "I am butter and cream, like I am quite heavy. I add more butter than anything else to it. Let's say if I'm doing maybe like four potatoes for four people, I would probably add about 100-150g of butter."
Preparation Technique
Poppy recommends peeling potatoes and cutting them into 1cm rounds rather than quarters. This ensures even cooking and less water absorption, resulting in smoother, creamier mash.
