Pesto mash

1. 1

   Use a potato peeler to pare off the skins as thinly as possible and then cut the potatoes into even-sized chunks, not too small. If they are large, quarter them and if they are small, halve them.

2. 2

   Put the potato chunks in a large saucepan, then pour boiling water over them, add 1 dessertspoon of salt, put on a lid and simmer gently until they are absolutely tender - they should take approximately 25 minutes. The way to tell whether they are ready is to pierce them with a skewer in the thickest part; the potato should not be hard in the centre. And you need to be careful here, because if they are slightly underdone you do get lumps.

3. 3

   When the potatoes are cooked, drain them. Cover them with a clean tea cloth to absorb some of the steam for about 5 minutes, then add the pesto and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Using an electric hand whisk, start whisking at a slow speed to break up the potatoes, then increase the speed to fast and whip them up to a smooth purée.

4. 4

   Now return the saucepan to a low heat and use a wooden spoon to turn the potatoes round until they become hot - about 1 minute - season, and now they're ready to serve.

1 serving ≈ 310 g

Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.