With the cooler months on our doorstep, it is no secret that my cravings turn towards rich and hearty stews and curries. Served with a good carby base – such as mash or polenta. So when I was given the opportunity to review a new product on the market – affectionately known as the Masha – well I wasted no time in saying ‘sure will!’. From the media release:

"Unlike conventional cutting blades that over-process and rupture the starch grains in potato producing glue like mash, the Masha’s innovative design works to create a perfect mash every time. But don’t just stop at potatoes! The Masha can be used to mash a variety of vegetables such as pumpkin, to prepare baby food, make a creamy guacamole, or even to rub butter into flour for cake mix. The Masha uses patented Rotor Cone technology, which allows the motor to gently squeeze potato through the outer mesh at a safe, low speed. As the Masha has no blade it is safe for the whole family. Storage is not an issue as the Masha’s sleek design means it slips into the cutlery drawer, so that it’s always on hand. The design also makes it easy to clean as the Rotor Blade can be removed easily. The Masha is safe to use in dishwashers and on non-stick pots.”

My usual method of making mash is rather traditional. Boiled potatoes, mashed with butter and milk. However, not having the inclination to push it through a sieve, the result is usually far from the silky, smooth mash I come across in restaurants. Then the ‘Masha’ arrived on my doorstep, and suddenly my lumpy, bumpy mash is more akin to its silky smooth restaurant cousin. Yes I think I am in love. I was going to keep it simple for the first test run, but then ideas started swirling in my head. So, instead, I ended up making this tasty version… Roasted garlic and spinach! The stars of the show…. some beautiful potatoes that I peeled and boiled until tender. And cloves of garlic that I roasted with their skins on for 15 minutes or so. But no mash would be complete without some extra fixins’…. In my case, crème fraiche, butter and a packet of frozen spinach that I defrosted in the microwave. In with the potatoes and roasted garlic, then it was time to get my mash on! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, to be honest. And I was even a little dubious that the potatoes wouldn’t turn into a gluey gluggy mess. But the Masha worked just as it said it would – with the plastic ‘blade’ pushing the ingredients through the outer mesh. Mashing… Mashing… Until I had a big pot of beautifully creamy, lump-free mashed potato! I really, really liked this little gadget – and it is definitely one I will turn to when making mash in the future. True to its word, the resulting mash was smooth and not gluggy. And when combined with roasted garlic and spinach, well it was quite tasty (even if I do say so myself!) We served the mash along with a slices of roast beef and a red wine jus. Just heavenly for the cool Autumn evening! Roasted garlic and spinach mash (serves 4-6 as a side)

• 1kg potatoes (peeled, cubed and boiled for 15-20 minutes or until tender)
• 6 cloves garlic (roasted for 15 minutes at 180C, then peeled)
• 50g butter
• 3 tbs crème fraiche
• 250g frozen spinach (thawed in the microwave, squeezing out the excess liquid)
• salt and pepper

1. Place the warm potatoes, garlic, butter and crème fraiche in a bowl, then use your masha until just combined.
2. Add the spinach  and continue to ‘mash’ until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Season to taste.

A big thanks to Masha for sending me this gadget to try! What about you? Do you have a favourite ‘mash’?