Secrets to restaurant-style mashed potatoes: Beyond milk and butter

Everyone loves mashed potatoes. Do you know how to prepare them so they taste like they do in restaurants? It's straightforward, but milk won't be enough here. The secret lies elsewhere.

Potatoes remain the most popular starch side dish alongside cutlets in our country. We personally adore them more than anything else, and serving them with a fried egg and dill, in our opinion, constitutes a complete meal that we could enjoy as often as possible. Of course, our preferred way to savour potatoes is mashed. The smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture merges wonderfully with every type of meat, sauce, and salad.

Preparing mashed potatoes is undeniably straightforward, although it's worth noting which ingredients to use to achieve the creamiest texture. Most people add only butter or milk to their potatoes. Are these indeed the keys to perfect mash? We don't deny their importance, but we also have a slightly different perspective on this matter...

Mixing cooked potatoes with milk and butter turns them into a velvety delight. However, not everyone wants to add these items to what could be healthier potatoes. What alternatives could one consider? Of course, buttermilk or natural yogurt. The low-fat versions of these dairy products can make the mashed potatoes smooth without making them excessively fatty.

Another strategy — or perhaps a better term would be a trick — for enhancing mashed potatoes is... water. But not just any water. We're referring to the water in which the potatoes were boiled. A little bit is all it takes to achieve the exceptional creaminess of this beloved dish.

The choice of spices is also essential when it comes to mashed potatoes. The cooking techniques here are pretty straightforward. The potato mix generally includes pepper, salt, nutmeg, and, potentially, garlic. To finish, it's beneficial to add some greenery: chopped dill or parsley. These components can make the mashed potatoes extraordinarily flavorful!