Delia Smith shows you how to make perfect mash in a step-by-step recipe.
Ingredients
For the basic recipe
- 450g/1lb potatoes
- 50g/2oz butter
For the pesto mash
- 1x120g tub fresh pesto sauce
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method
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Use a potato peeler to pare off the skins as thinly as possible and then cut the potatoes into even-sized chunks, not too small. If they are large, quarter them and if they are small, halve them.
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Put the potato chunks in a large saucepan, then pour boiling water over them, add 1 dessertspoon of salt, put on a lid and simmer gently until they are absolutely tender – they should take approximately 25 minutes. The way to tell whether they are ready is to pierce them with a skewer in the thickest part; the potato should not be hard in the centre. And you need to be careful here, because if they are slightly underdone you do get lumps.
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When the potatoes are cooked, drain them. Cover them with a clean tea cloth to absorb some of the steam for about 5 minutes, then add the pesto and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Using an electric hand whisk, start whisking at a slow speed to break up the potatoes, then increase the speed to fast and whip them up to a smooth purée.
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Now return the saucepan to a low heat and use a wooden spoon to turn the potatoes round until they become hot – about 1 minute – season, and now they’re ready to serve.