BATMAN has Robin, Sherlock has Watson, Shrek has Donkey, and your Thanksgiving turkey should have potatoes.
A self-described “Potato Queen” has shared her top tips for perfecting the essential side.
Poppy O’Toole (@poppycooks) spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about her go-to recipes ahead of the holiday weekend.
Now an influencer, Poppy once worked at high-end fine dining establishments around London until the Covid pandemic suspended the restaurant sector.
Since then, the U.K.-based food expert rose to fame after her cooking videos gained traction online, amassing her four million followers on TikTok.
The Michelin-trained chef has also compiled her recipes on her website and her two cookbooks, including her latest release, Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook.
Sharing some of her expertise, Poppy revealed the best way to mash your potatoes to create the perfect consistency.
“I have a classic way to make mash, always use a ricer or sieve rather than a masher so the potato doesn’t get gloopy,” she explained.
For the perfect creamy texture, she suggested mixing in cream or melted butter after mashing.
Poppy also recommended playing around with the flavor of your mashed potatoes.
“Try roasting a whole bulb of garlic in the oven for around 40 minutes and then squeeze out the beautiful roasted garlic while mashing your spuds,” she advised.
And if mashed potatoes aren’t your favorite, Poppy also shared her advice for achieving perfectly crisp roast potatoes.
“Don’t settle for soggy roast potatoes,” she said.
“Make sure your potatoes are well boiled initially and steam-dry them by leaving them in the colander, drained with a kitchen towel over the top,” Poppy added.
She revealed that “a good shake” should help to get them “super fluffy.”
Poppy also highlighted the importance of adding your potatoes to oil that is already hot before placing them in the oven.
She recommended waiting until close to dining time to tackle your roast potatoes as they don’t reheat well.
Or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous and have some time on your hands, Poppy’s viral 15-hour potatoes have also proved a hit.
The recipe involves “layers of thinly sliced potato, cooked in garlic cream for three hours.”
After setting overnight, Poppy deep-fried the slices for “the ultimate crispy cube of potato.”
She even tweaked the recipe to work with sweet potatoes for the holiday season.
You can also make more room in your oven for your turkey with Poppy’s latest cookbook, which focuses on air fryer recipes.
