Mashed potato

Seasoned cooks will already know that pasta water is a key ingredient for silky, creamy sauces. The starches present in the liquid help the sauce bind to the carbs, and it means the coating looks glossier and smoother, too.

So why don’t we do the same with other starchy water – say, from our potatoes?

Well, apparently, we should.

According to the New York Times Cooking, the liquid gold is the “secret” to smooth, buttery spuds.

“Save some of it after you boil the potatoes, and after mashing, stir it back in, a tablespoon at a time, until they come together,” they wrote.

I thought I’d give it a try (with a twist), and I’ve been converted.

Why does potato water help to make mash creamy?

When you boil something starchy in water – be it rice, pasta, or potato – some of the carbohydrate escapes your food and enters the fluid.

Different variations and concentrations of starch and water (from cornstarch slurry........

© HuffPost