British chef Thom Bateman is promoting a shift away from the traditional boiling of potatoes for mashed potatoes, instead championing a baking technique. This method aims to intensify the natural flavors and improve the texture of mashed potatoes, elevating them from a simple side dish to a more refined culinary experience.
Bateman's method involves baking whole, unpeeled potatoes until they are tender. This approach minimizes water absorption compared to boiling, resulting in a more concentrated potato flavor and a texture that better accommodates additions like butter and milk without becoming watery. Baking the potatoes with their skins on also helps to retain more of their natural nutrients and fiber. Once baked, the potatoes are mashed with cold butter and milk to achieve a creamy consistency.
The history of mashed potatoes traces back to Hannah Glasse's 1747 cookbook, "The Art of Cookery," which detailed a method of mashing boiled potatoes with milk, salt, and butter. Potatoes themselves, originating from the Andes, faced initial resistance in Europe, even being banned in France for a period. Figures like Antoine-Augustin Parmentier were instrumental in their acceptance, advocating for their nutritional value and promoting their cultivation.
While boiling potatoes is known for creating a smooth texture and retaining certain nutrients like Vitamin C and potassium, baking offers distinct advantages. The dry heat of baking caramelizes the potato's natural sugars, enhancing sweetness and creating a more complex flavor profile. The skin-on baking further boosts fiber content. This contrast highlights how preparation techniques can significantly influence the final taste and nutritional value of potatoes, a trend echoed by other chefs experimenting with roasting and other methods to maximize the potato's inherent qualities.