Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Paris Mash

1 kg potatoes for mashing - Danish Creams and Yukon are best or simply use the common Sebago
250ml cream or milk
250g butter
Salt flakes


Crushed chat potatoes

1kg chat potatoes
200ml extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

 

Method

Paris Mash

Peel and cut potatoes in half or quarters. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Cook until tender or when pierced with a small knife there is no resistance.

Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in saucepan and set aside until the potatoes are ready.

When the potatoes have cooked through pass them through a mouli, sieve or ricer, beat in the hot cream mixture and season with salt.

The mixture should be smooth and silky.


Crushed chat potatoes

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.

Remove from the heat, drain and place back in the pot. Break the potatoes with a wooden spoon, add salt and oil and mix into the potatoes.
 
This side dish of potatoes should look rustic with the skin left on.
Potato Varieties
Patrone – light yellow skin and flesh. These potatoes have a firm waxy texture which makes them excellent for steaming and boiling. They are also great for potato salad, roasting and baking, gratin dishes and roesti. They are not well suited for mashing.

Desiree – pale pink skin and light creamy flesh. Excellent for roasting, most sliced potato dishes and they will mash beautifully.

Kipfler – Origin Austria. Yellow flesh and skin, small-medium in size, elongated in shape, sometimes called finger potatoes. Texture when cooked is quite dry.  Cooking: boil or microwave.

Spunta – Origin Holland.  Light yellow skin and flesh, medium-large, oval tuber.  Shallow eyes. Good for chipping, sliced dishes and baking.

Nicola – Dutch variety.  Very yellow flesh and skin, they will mash, bake, steam, boil, sauté and make a great sliced dish. Their flavour is quite buttery and slightly sweet, creamy texture but firm. They take slightly longer to cook than other varieties.

Purple Congo – very dark purple skin and flesh.  This variety will mash, steam, boil and microwave very well.  They do not roast, and need no peeling.  Good for potato salad and can also be used as a garnish because of the colour. Their texture when cooked is very dry.

Pink Eye – This variety has a smooth cream skin with purple/blue blush, the flesh is cream/yellow and tends to be waxy. Cooking: salads, boiling, steaming and they bake well.

Sebago – white fleshed, oval to round, general purpose potato – widely available.

King Edward – English variety, creamy white flesh, skin has a bright pink blush.  This variety will mash, bake, chip and boil.

Pink Fir Apple – UK heritage variety since 1850. Long in shape with pale pink skin, has a waxy texture. Good for salads, microwaving, boiling and mashing.