Crème Fraîche Mashed Potato

Want to know the secret to making the creamiest, richest, restaurant style mashed potatoes? Add in a load of dairy! Ever wondered why restaurant food tastes so good? 1 word; butter.

Unfortunately, you can’t just chuck loads of butter into a pan of mashed potato and call it a day. You have to be careful not to add too much in, otherwise the mash can split. So I’ve worked out the perfect amount of butter, double cream and creme fraiche to add in, to give the creamiest texture and richest flavour. Plus I’ll share the variety of potato that I use for a light, fluffy texture and the best tools to use for perfectly smooth mash.

If you’ve never added creme fraiche into a batch of mashed potatoes, I’d highly recommend you try it! The tangy, buttery flavour turns regular mash into something seriously special. Combine that with the extra butter and double cream and you’re onto a real winner.

For more easy homemade sides, take a look at our ever growing collection of side dish recipes. Here you’ll find fries, onion rings, creamed corn, baked beans, and lots more. Plus sauces like BBQ, onion gravy, bearnaise and chip shop curry sauce.

Ingredients For Crème Fraîche Mashed Potato

• Potatoes – Maris Pipers are my go to potato for mash but other floury varieties like Russets, King Edwards or all purpose potatoes like Yukon Golds will work too.
• Crème Fraîche – For the creamiest flavour, it’s best to use full fat creme fraiche. Make sure to let the creme fraiche sit out at room temperature whilst your potatoes are cooking, otherwise it can make the mash cold when you add it in.
• Double Cream – For the richest flavour, I recommend using double (or heavy) cream. For a lighter mashed potato, you could use milk instead.
• Butter – Either salted or unsalted butter can be used for mashed potato. If you’ve used salted, keep in mind that you won’t have to add in as much extra salt.

How To Make Crème Fraîche Mashed Potato

Mashed potato is probably one of the easiest potato side dishes you can make. The secret to making luxurious restaurant style mash is essentially just to add in a load of dairy! In this recipe, we’re adding in a generous amount of creme fraiche, butter and double cream.

1. Peel & Chop Potatoes
   First, peel your potatoes then chop into 1 inch chunks. It’s key to make all of the pieces the same size so that they cook evenly.
2. Rinse Well To Remove Starch
   Once chopped, rinse the potatoes under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch, making sure that your mash is fluffy, not gluey. If you’ve got the time, letting the potatoes soak in water for 30 minutes is best.
3. Boil In Salted Water
   To cook the potatoes, bring the water to the boil then gently simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. You’ll know when they’re cooked, when a knife slides in with no resistance.
4. Drain In Colander
   Once cooked, drain the potatoes through a colander then leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes.
5. Mash With Cream, Butter & Crème Fraîche
   Place the drained potatoes back into the pan they were cooked in (make sure the pan’s dry) then add in creme fraiche, butter and warm double cream. Season with salt & pepper then mash with a potato masher until combined and smooth.
6. Season To Taste
   To finish, give the potatoes a taste to check the seasoning, folding in more salt & pepper as needed. Then transfer the mash to a bowl, top with a piece of butter, plus more salt and pepper then serve.

Tips And Tricks For Perfect Mash

• Use a floury variety of potato, to make mash with a light, fluffy texture.
• Make sure the cream is warm and the creme fraiche & butter is at room temperature, to avoid cooling the mash down when you add it in.
• Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces, so that they all cook at the same time.
• Give your potatoes a good rinse under cold water, to remove excess starch.
• Season your mashed potatoes to taste, with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Serving Suggestions

Use crème fraîche mashed potato exactly the same way as regular mashed potatoes! This style of mash is just a creamier, more luxurious version. I served mine with some roasted pork belly but it’d be just as good with a toad in the hole, pork sausages & onion gravy, a slow cooked beef stew, on a roast dinner or as part of a Thanksgiving meal.

Variations And Flavourings

One of the great things about making your own mashed potatoes, is that you can flavour it pretty much however you like. Here are some of my favourite flavour combinations to add this batch of spuds.

• Roasted Garlic – Mash roasted garlic (or confit garlic) into the potatoes.
• Sour Cream & Chive – Swap the creme fraiche for sour cream then fold through finely chopped chives.
• Cheesy Mash – Fold grated cheddar through the warm mash, to melt.
• Mustard Mash – Stir wholegrain or Dijon mustard in your mash, just before serving. Or use both types of mustard for maximum flavour!
• Colcannon – Fry sliced cabbage & spring onions in butter then fold into the potatoes.
• Caramelised Onions – Make a batch of caramelised onions ahead of time then fold into your mash just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Side Dishes To Try

• Fondant Potatoes
• Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese
• Goose Fat Roasted Crushed New Potatoes
• Guinness & Bone Marrow Gravy
• Garlic & Parmesan Creamed Corn

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