I have just finished a project during which I prepared, tested, and cooked lots of Smash Instant Mashed Potato. My results were great, which made me wonder why I had been sceptical about this instant mash that’s been around since the 1960’s?
Well, let me take you back to my first memories of Smash. Like many of you reading this, I first heard of Smash via the TV ads in the 1970’s, in which advanced alien visitors mock humans for the amount of time it takes to make mashed potatoes from scratch, ending with the memorable jingle ‘For Mash Get Smash’.
The jingle still comes to mind whenever anybody mentions Smash. I don’t think I ever ate it at the time; if I did, I have no memory of it.
This history left me with the impression of a product that was old, dated, and had not moved with the times. Had I just missed the marketing of it since or was it just an excellent campaign for its time? Was it so brilliant for its time that it’s now not given the respect I think it now deserves?
Smash is dehydrated potato with dried milk. It is easy and quick to make. Having tested both frozen and chilled mashed potato for convenience at times in the past, I would say that Smash is a more cost-effective option, which performs better than those two. It requires less storage, minimal labour, and can be mixed hot or cold depending on your application.
It’s also an excellent ingredient for recipes, especially if you are dealing with a gluten free diet. Recently, we used it in recipes from a delicious gluten-free chocolate cake, to tasty savoury churros, to a creamy black pudding mash with belly pork. Smash came up trumps every time.
Having done all this, I’ve evolved my view of Smash. Caterers reading this will know that producing good mashed potato at scale is not an easy task. Smash is a credible alternative to fresh, chilled, or frozen potatoes. So I’m now a fan. Have I convinced you to give it a try?
Images by the wonderful James Kennedy of James Kennedy Photography.
