Q & A: Mashed Potatoes

My brother called last evening asking what to do with over-mashed mashed potatoes. Thinking he could use an immersion blender to get creamy potatoes, ended up with a gluey mess. He had two questions; 1. can they be fixed, and 2. if not, what to do with them.

The answer to the first is: NO. When you over whip potatoes, the starch in the potatoes comes out turning them into a gluey mess that is unfixable.

This leads me to the second: now what. The two things that came to mind were to make cakes out of it or soup. To make potato cakes, cool the potatoes then mix with an egg and flour to form a nice texture. Then flavor with cheese or fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Pan fry a couple minutes on a side until golden on each side. Serve with some dressed greens.

To make soup, start by sauteing vegetables in some oil until soft. Add the potatoes, and stir to combine. Then thin with milk or stock.