OK, the title of this post may cause some dispute but I stand over it. The reason being that it brings out the most important flavour - the potato! No need for any dairy in this, the starch of the potato provides all the creaminess you need.
Now, you can mash any potato but if you get the perfect potato then you get the best mash. The perfect potato for mash is the one that was specifically bred for the purpose, the Rooster!
To serve four people I would usually use at least three "baker" size Roosters. Sometimes I peel them, sometimes I don't. If I don't peel them, I will give them an extra good scrub.
Cut them into chunks, cover with water, then put them on a high heat to bring to the boil.
Critical instruction here: do not put any salt in with the potatoes at this time!
Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. You can go over, but don't go under as that will leave hard chunks.
Now, once boiled, take off the heat and let the water settle for a minute - there are small chunks of potato and starch here that we want to keep.
Drain off the water into a jug, but leave about half the height of the potatoes behind. It will look too wet, but don't worry! Add in a teaspoon of salt and a couple of lugs of olive oil and mash away. If it looks too dry, use water from the jug. Taste and check if you need more salt.
And that, my friends, is it. The tastiest and best mashed potato ever! And vegan!