Loiseau Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Never thought I'd say this, but I bought some instant mash this week - and it was delicious!It is called Mousline [sic] "saveur à l'ancienne: creme et noix de muscade". For one 80g packet you had to add 250ml water and 250ml milk (brought to the boil). It's supposed to serve 4, but it was so scrummy that I polished it off on my own in 3 meals. (Kept remains in fridge, and reheated in microwave.)It took me right back to my student days in the 1960s, when I lodged with a family in Grenoble, and we used to have huge bowls of this mash with all the delicious gravy from the roast floating round the edge like a moat.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 The love affair lasts precisely two packets...I see you got the 'ancienne' with nutmeg in it. There is a 'rough' sort but I'd gone off it by the time I tried that one. OK to keep for comfort-food related emergencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Dick, how can you be so cynical about something so important?!I LOVE instant mash, always have, whether Smash or Mousline. Tin of mushy peas mixed in, cheese on top, simply mahhhhhhhhvelous dahling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I always have a spare pack in the cupboard. It's important to check the sell-by date; my husband once had disasterous results to eating an out of date pack.A good compromise between flavour and speed is Picard frozen purée. It's frozen mashed potato, you add milk and warm it up for a few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I once bought a box of the Super U own brand and it wasn't bad.This past week, I bought the cookery magazine on the checkout and they had done a survey on instant mash. I can't remember the exact scores etc., but they had included a Lidl product which they said was good for the price...which I just happened to see and buy. OK for OH as he is a bit difficult to feed at the moment.Don't bother. He said it was awful. Three satchets left.I make my mash with lots of butter and créme frâiche. Now that really is yum yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 [+o(][+o(][+o(] Instant mash [+o(][+o(][+o(] Give me a spud some butter and milk any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Or garlicky olive oil and milk... but otherwise I'm with you, Suze.Except...I've got the same magazine as you, Alexis, and I thought I might try a packet of the L'aligot d'Aveyron - brand Marie de Livinhac. I didn't buy much (possibly any) packeted stuff when I was in the UK and haven't done so here either but in the spirit of experiencing all (or most) things French, especially something that scores 19/20. In the same magazine Vie Practique Gourmande 3 Fev issue, on page 23/24 are recipes using chocolate. Langoustines au chocolat et poivron confit and another: Risotto au chocolat. I am guessing with the latter that it is a savoury dish by the decorative ingredient of a few shavings of parmesan annointing (if solids annoint) each serving.Yeuch. [+o(][+o(][+o(] I suppose if I am going to try packeted aligot I should subdue instinctive prejudice and try a langoustine with chocolate mayo... but as a taste combination, can it really work?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I can't remember trying fish with chocolate but I have heard very good reports on chocolate with meat. Usually beef or rabbit.Apparantly, it brings all the flavour out.You don't just chuck in a Milky Way but the 70% stuff which, to be honest, I don't often have in the house. When I make a chocolate mousse, I use the Nestle Corse.Mmmmm. Milky Way!!!!I like the magazine though. After all these years here, I have only just discovered it. Browsing the shelves trying to find something for OH to read these past few months - wrapped in plastic for the sterile ward - I have fallen in love with quite a few cookery magazines which I had never bought before.I'm mad keen on cookery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I have used a square or two of chocolate with pigeon and harecasseroles - jugged hare worked particularly well as the chocolateseemed to merge with the richness very effectively. I just cannotimagine it with fish.If you read this, Alexis, many thanks for your post this time lastyear (I think) re the Graines Baumaux catalogue. I joined theirmailing list and got their catalogue before Christmas. Excellent readand I dispatched my order last week. So that means spring'll startabout June, then.[st] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 A teaspoon of good quality cocoa makes all the difference to a chili con carne. I use very diluted instant mash to thicken soups and stews rather than cornflour but I love instant mash with cheese on a shepherds pie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Boy do you need very very high percentage cacoa chocolate to use in savoury dishes. A dish could be ruined by just any dark chocolate. Yes I know instant mash, beurk! I like real taters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Is it true that instant mash is known as the artex of the culinary world???????????ps Joke!!! just in case anyone gets too upset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 That is nice Catalpa. Got mine too. Always an excellent read.No order this year as we are flitting.Did you know that Christopher Lloyd has just died?I loved his writing. I finally visited Great Dixter in September last year and I heard The Great One's voice through the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 [quote user="Suze"]Instant mash ...Give me a spud some butter and milk any day.[/quote]I know, I know, Suze. But I just couldn't find any "floury" potatoes in SuperU, only the waxy sort...Hey, I am really sorry to hear Christopher Lloyd died.My husband used to direct films for "Gardener's World", and at one time did a series of visits to Great Dixter through the year. He got on very well with CL. I think some of my plants here might have come from seeds he picked up there... Angela [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 After being in food-snob denial for many years, I learned to love Smash when I was pregnant. Just had to have that mashed potato - RIGHT NOW!!!!! Oddly, French people don't look down on it at all. You can whip up a mega-quick brandade with it too. Yum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Is it any good for hachis parmentier/cottage/shepherd's pie?I do agree that it mops up gravies and sauces very nicely, and is a good thickener.Moving the thread on a bit, has anyone tried Aunt Bessie's Home Roast potatoes? (Not likely to arrive at a comptoir irlandais any time soon I imagine) Not as good as my handcrafted, cooked in goose fat, crisp on the outside and light as an angel's kiss inside home-made ones, but on the other hand they are ready 20 minutes after you get in from work...[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/montage1_500.jpg[/IMG]For the full advert, sorry, range available:http://www.trytonfoods.co.uk/news/magazine.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 They are making me dribble all over me laptop; I love their yorkshires; so easy and tasty and I dont need to turn my kitchen into a furnace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 [quote user="Alexis"]Did you know that Christopher Lloyd has just died?[/quote]Yes - very sad... but he was in his 80s so I suppose so it's allowed.Sad but not tragic. I have several of his books - well, I will haveagain when they come out of store. Something like the Good TemperedGarden and one with Beth Chatto - letters. He's very readable and somuch common sense. I've not been to Great Dixter. Wonder what willhappen to the house and gardens now. Rosemary Verey's house was quiteclose to where I used to live - near Cirencester in Gloucestershire.Gorgeous garden - and it's a very expensive hotel now. Well, I reckon£250 per night for a room is expensive but maybe I'm just revealingwhat a cheapskate I am. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 How much??Haven't they heard of Formula 1?[:D]I lived in the North of England so never found the strength to visit the Southern gardens. This visit was carefully planned.My neighbour here arrived with a great pile of newspapers for me and I read it there. I remember going back to the UK some years ago and first thing I saw was the death of Geoff Hamilton.I was gutted.Anyway. Smash. It is just those robots laughing their tinny socks off at us humans[:)][:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessfou Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 All, I* gotta add Laguiole to mash (preferably real, not instant), then I got Aligot. [;)]*I'm slightly ashamed to say that, strictly speaking, that should be "my wife" or "the chef" or "someone in the kitchen." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 [quote user="SaligoBay"]Oddly, French people don't look down on it at all. [/quote]Yes, that's really weird, isn't it SB? I was entertaining some aged-20-something French girls to supper in England, and of course I had done mashed potatoes in the way one always does. They were incredulous! They said that in France only Grannies ever do mash from real potatoes. I said well perhaps French potatoes didn't lend themselves to being mashed the way ours do. But they said well if the Grannies could, then surely anyone could, and maintained that in their respective comfortable middle-class French homes their mums had *never* made anything other than "instant".I must say, I am surprised that I cannot at present find in the Vendee any non-waxy spuds. Hope I find some before Wednesday as I have a French couple coming to lunch and had envisaged doing Delia's sausages in red wine casserole - which cries out for *proper* mash doesn't it? (I brought Tesco Finest sausages over in my suitcase for the purpose!)A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayennaise Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I lurve the french instant mash but have found that by only adding two thirds of the milk/water stated and adding a knob of butter it is gorgeous - and it doesn't run off your plate!! They do like things sloppy over here!!! but I prefer to eat it with a fork rather than a straw!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo53 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Instant mash and UHT milk - about the most contemptible food items in existence for most people in the UK, but staples of the French diet. Tell that to Rick Stein and his Taste of France!!J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 [quote user="Jo53"] Instant mash and UHT milk - about the most contemptible food items in existence for most people in the UK, but staples of the French diet. Tell that to Rick Stein and his Taste of France!![/quote]LOL Jo53, isn't it so true! [:D]Any Father Ted fans out there? The episode where Dougal gets to drive the milk float (and Pat Mustard has put a bomb under it ha ha ha ha). The milkman's parting advice is to get it all done as quickly as possible because milk goes off...."except UHT, that doesn't go off. But there's no demand for that, cos it's s /h /i /t/ e". ROFLMAO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 [quote user="Mayennaise"]I lurve the french instant mash but have found that by only adding two thirds of the milk/water stated and adding a knob of butter it is gorgeous - and it doesn't run off your plate!! They do like things sloppy over here!!! but I prefer to eat it with a fork rather than a straw!![/quote]Funny that! When living in England, I always thought the mash was too dry!Using a Mousline packet, I heat 1/3 milk + 2/3 water + salt + pepper (sometimes garlic too), bring to the boil, leave for a few minutes, then add the Mousline whilst whisking gently. Leave for 2 minutes to swell, then add, cheese or butter or cream... or all three!!Also very edible with gently sauteed onions and/or crispy lardons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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