Mashed potato, mashed potato
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that potatoes exist?!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I sit here and wonder just how incredible potaotes are. You get these unassuming starchy oval-ish (is that word?!) things growing underground and when ready, are harvested and turned into the most delicious food.
Think about it. French fries. Chips. Oven baked. Au gratin. You can put them in full on meals like curry or you can eat them for breakfast in the form of a hash brown. The potato really be out here doing the most! Perhaps my most favourite way of eating potatoes though comes by way of mashing. Yes. I’m talking about mashed potatoes! It couldn’t be simpler, right? The name itself is pretty explanatory. They’re potatoes, but mashed.
Yet not everyone gets it right.
Let’s just say I’ve eaten my fair share of mashed potatoes in my 30 years in this glorious planet. I’ve had those instant ones that are shaped and textured like flakes that you mix with hot water. I’ve ordered them in the fanciest restaurants. Hell, I even love them from KFC.
A couple of weeks ago I shared a photo on my Instagram stories of my version of mashed potatoes and it generated a lot of chatter. Turns out we all love mashed potatoes! I boil my potatoes with cloves of garlic and got a few ‘WTAF’ messages. So I thought I’d clear the air and hopefully convert you into this method of making them.
What you’ll need:
Potatoes (I like agria)
3 pieces of dried bay leaves
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled (or more if you like it garlicky)
Salt
2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon melted butter
3 tablespoons of milk (I like the half and half from Puhoi Valley)
Toppings of your choice (optional but great for when you want a lil’ something something)
A mixer or a masher. I use a handheld mixer for this and never looking back
How to:
Peel and cut the potatoes in quarters, The quantity depends on how many people are you cooking it for. By default, I cook for 5 so I use a good amount of potatoes for this
Peel your garlic
Put cold water in a pot and add your potatoes, garlic, and bay leaf making sure they’re nice and covered
Add salt. Put more salt than you think you need. Don’t hold back.
Boi until potatoes are tender then discard the bay leaves
Transfer potato and garlic to a bowl that can be used with a mixer if you’re using a handheld one
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of milk
Mix together
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the rest of the milk until creamy
Taste and season according to your liking (chances are it won’t need salt thanks to boiling it with heaps of salt and the umami from the bay leaf and garlic)
Add melted butter on top
Now for the toppings… I personally like adding finely chopped parsley on top and a bit of truffle oil with mine but not everyone likes parsley (looking at you mum) so I don’t. Toppings are a choose your own adventure thing though so feel free to adjust to your liking!
So why the hell do I boil garlic and bay leaves with mine? Because they give the most delicate flavour. I want my mashed potatoes to taste like mashed potatoes and the boiled garlic infuses it with just the right hint of flavour without being too overwhelming. The bay leaves add another layer to that and gives this mashed potato the most incredible depth without taking over.
This mashed potato is the perfect side dish for this festive season (and beyond) and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. You’ll never want to make it any other way after this. I promise.