5 steps to: The fluffiest mash

Pick potatoes labelled ‘all-purpose’ – these are medium starch and won’t disintegrate when cooked in water. Mash never seems to go far, so use one and a half to two medium-sized potatoes per adult.

After peeling your potatoes, chop them into evenly sized quarters – you want each piece of potato to be roughly the same size, so that they’re ready at the same time.

On the stove or in the microwave, heat 500mls of milk together with 2 tablespoons of salted butter, a good grounding of black pepper and salt, and a ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Keep this mixture warm while your potatoes cook.

The minute your potatoes are cooked through, drain them, return to the pot, and place back on the heat – you want to steam away every last bit of moisture.

Once the potatoes are ‘dry’, pour in half the milk and mash thoroughly. Once this has been absorbed, add the remaining milk until you have the texture you want. For a topping for fish pie you’ll want a slightly stiffer mash, so add less milk. For an accompaniment to bangers, creamier is better mash, so add all the milk. Season and serve.