Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes (No Gravy or Cream Needed)

[Draggingtree]

Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes (No Gravy or Cream Needed)

"Garlic is to mashed potatoes what smoke is to pork." Meathead

By Meathead Goldwyn

The secret Chef Lucas taught me, is boiling the garlic to reduce its pungence and increase its mellow sweetness. And lots of butter. Most mashed potato recipes call for cream, half-and-half, or milk. This recipe is so good and creamy you don't need any cream in the mix or gravy on the table. But if you insist, you can mix in some cream or half-and-half, but taste it first!

Another secret, I have learned the hard way, is to mash them only with an old fashioned wire potato masher or a potato ricer.

Recipe

Yield. 4 small servings

Preparation time. 30-45 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds Russet Burbank or Yukon Gold potatoes, after peeling

6 medium cloves of garlic

1/4 pound unsalted butter or margarine (1 stick), cut into 1/2" chunks

6 pinches of salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (fresher is better)

2 tablespoons of your favorite fresh herbs

About the potatoes. There are many different potatoes to choose from (read my article The Science of Potatoes). Russets are a great all round tater, fine for for mashing, and Yukon Golds have an especially nice buttery flavor.

Select large potatoes because they are easier to peel. Each potato has a slightly different texture and flavor, so experiment until you find your fave. If you clean the skins thoroughly with a brush or scrubby sponge, you can leave them in for more texture, flavor, and nutrition.

About the garlic. If you have roasted, grilled, or smoked garlic on hand, you can skip boiling the garlic, but frankly, I like the boiled version better. Tink about that statement from a guy who is pretty well-known as a barbecue cook. Click here to see how to roast garlic

 

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/potatoes/garlic_mashed_potatoes.html

[Pepper]

6 medium cloves of garlic....

 

that's just wrong.