Phil Vickery’s Ultimate Mash Potato Masterclass | This Morning

Presenter / Channel

• Phil Vickery (appearing on This Morning)

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Ingredients (with quantities/substitutions mentioned)

Mashed potatoes (base)

• Potatoes: King Edward and Maris Piper (quantities not given)
• Butter: quantity not given; add “just enough”
• Milk: quantity not given; Phil prefers more milk than butter
• Salt: to taste; table salt mentioned
• Ground black pepper: to taste

Variations mentioned

• “Cabbage” / champ-style mash

  • Potato + butter and milk (base method)
  • Seville / “cabbage” (likely savoy cabbage) and onions
  • Touch of oil
  • Little bit of water
  • After steaming: add more butter and/or olive oil to taste

• Olive oil mash / lighter mash

  • Extra virgin olive oil instead of butter
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Parsley

• Suggested plating / serve contexts

  • Fish: lighter mash with olive oil/parmesan mentioned as particularly suitable
  • General / “winners”: “buttery” mash described as Phil’s “perfect” option

Potato pellet / frozen ready mash (topic discussed, not a recipe method)

• Notes that supermarket ready mash is made from potatoes processed similarly (washed/peeled/mashed/steamed/piped), with a claim about getting “right potatoes at right time of year.”
• A question is raised: whether it has “all the butter exactly what it can do” (no confirmed details given).

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Equipment + prep steps

• Pot for boiling potatoes
• Blunt knife for checking doneness (not sharp)
• Pan to mash (after boiling)
• Masher (holes not too mechanically aggressive; avoid over-processing)

Optional/alternatives mentioned:

• Food processor (warned: can make potatoes gluey if overused)
• Moulin / “sieve” tool to rescue overcooked/gluey mash (takes time)
• Potato press (mentioned as an option but “faffy”)
• Whisk (used for bringing mash together at the final mixing stage)

For cabbage variation:

• Lid for steaming
• Chopping board/knife
• Instruction to wash cabbage and onions explicitly

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Step-by-step method (with technique cues)

1) Choose and prep potatoes

1. Use King Edward / Maris Piper (Phil’s picks).
2. Peel and cut into regular pieces. Phil references research suggesting ~1 inch square, but says size doesn’t “make no difference” for him.
3. Wash potatoes again to remove starch (“straight away” reduces gluey risk).

2) Boil (avoid raging boil)

1. Put potatoes in cold water and bring up to the boil.
2. Cook at a regular boil (avoid a “raging boil”):
   • Outside shouldn’t fall apart before the inside cooks.
3. Timing: about 15–20 minutes, depending on cut size (“smaller cut = quicker”).

3) Check doneness correctly

• Use a blunt knife:
  • It should confirm tenderness/break apart rather than slide through cleanly (Phil says sharp-knife testing can give a “wrong reading”).

4) Dry off after boiling

1. Drain and/or return potatoes to the pan.
2. Shake the pan around to remove moisture.

5) Mash without over-processing

1. Mash with a masher using light pressure (avoid breaking too much).
2. Over-processing risk:
   • Phil warns that over-mechanical processing (especially a food processor) can break starch granules, making potatoes turn gluey/paste-like.
3. Target texture:
   • Mash should become fluffy, not paste-like.

6) Add butter + milk (base mash)

1. Combine butter and milk together (melting together is quicker).
2. Add to mashed potatoes:
   • “Just enough to bring it together.”
3. Mix with a whisk at this point:
   • Phil says it brings the mash together “beautifully.”
4. Cooling/thickening cue:
   • As mash cools, it thickens (starch sets—Phil compares it to custard), so you may need a little more during mixing.

7) Season at the end (and how)

1. Season after mixing, at that stage.
2. Pepper:
   • Use ground pepper (not cracked).
3. Salt:
   • Phil emphasizes table salt rather than sea salt since sea salt takes longer to dissolve (he notes ~20 minutes is too salty).
4. Flavor intent:
   • “Instant flavor” / “instant taste” from salt and ground pepper.

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Variation steps (condensed)

A) “Champ”-style cabbage & onion mash (savoy/cabbage mentioned)

1. In a pan, cook cabbage and onions with:
   • a touch of oil
   • a little bit of water
2. Put lid on and steam until nice and soft.
3. Remove lid and drive moisture off.
4. Chop, wash cabbage/onion, and ensure you get rid of the water (Phil calls this key).
5. Mash with potatoes, then add more butter and/or olive oil “whatever you like.”
6. Technique note:
   • Phil reiterates using a blunt knife.

B) Olive oil + parmesan + parsley mash (lighter)

• Replace butter with extra virgin olive oil.
• Add parmesan and parsley.
• Result: softer, not heavy with butter—described as great with fish.

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Chef tips / common mistakes

• Prevent gluey mash:
  • Don’t over-process (especially food processor).
  • Don’t overcook; gluey/paste-like mash happens when starch cells are disrupted and/or potatoes are overcooked.
• Avoid a raging boil (outside shouldn’t disintegrate before the inside cooks).
• Wash potatoes early to remove starch.
• Shake the pan to remove moisture before mashing.
• Use a blunt knife for doneness checks.
• Season at the end and use the right pepper:
  • Ground pepper (not cracked).
• If mash gets overcooked/gluey:
  • Push through a sieve to “bring it back,” though it takes time.

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Serving / serving suggestions

• Positioning: mash as a “perfect side to your winter dinners.”
• Pairing note:
  • Fish: olive oil/parmesan/parsley mash style is described as ideal.
• Comfort-food takeaway:
  • Mashed potatoes framed as “greatest comfort food.”
• No specific plating layout is described beyond serving mash in a bowl.

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Sources referenced

• Mentions a piece of research about potato cut size (~1 inch square), though Phil says it doesn’t change his approach much.
• Mentions historical context for ready-meals machinery and a friend (Steve) who worked for a ready meals company (no external source named).