Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Potatoes are probably one of the best comfort foods there is. If you pair light and airy mashed potatoes with a rich gravy, it is about as good as it gets! This can be a side to fried chicken but you can have the dish entirely on it’s own and enjoy it just as much!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes
- 500 gm white fluffy potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup hot milk
Ingredients for Gravy
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 3 tbsp. flour
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tsp. black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp. cream optional
Instructions
- For the Mashed PotatoesPeel and cube the potatoes, then wash them to get rid of any excess starch. Put them in a pan, cover them with water and add a touch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Drain them and let them sit in the colander after draining for 5 minutes so they steam properly. Do not let them get cold, they need to be mashed while still very warm.Turn the potato cubes into a large bowl and add the butter, some salt and pepper to taste. You could even add garlic salt or chilli powder or lemon for different flavours. Heat the milk and then add it all into the warm potatoes and mash. (It may seem like a lot of milk but it makes the potatoes soft and creamy, you can use less milk if you want but I highly recommend using the full amount given in this recipe). Give everything a quick mix with a whisk to combine. Do not over mix as this will make the potatoes gluey. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.For the GravyBroth can be made at home by boiling pieces of bone-in beef or chicken in water on low heat for about an hour. Add salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, any chopped vegetables you have on hand to the water to further flavour and enrich the broth. Once done, drain the liquid (which will be your broth) and you can freeze it for up to 2 months.Heat the oil and butter in a pan. Then add the flour and cook on low heat stirring constantly until the flour changes to a light brown colour. This will give your gravy the rich dark colour. But be careful not to burn the flour as that will give a burnt taste to the gravy. Then gradually add in first the beef broth while whisking constantly to avoid any lumps from forming. As it thickens, you can then add chicken stock a little at a time and simmer. Add black pepper and salt to taste. Allow the gravy to simmer while whisking regularly until it is thick and glossy. Turn off the heat and you are done! For a creamier gravy, you can add 2 tbsp. of cream before turning the heat off.Serve the soft mashed potatoes topped with the gravy and tuck in!Enjoy!Â
