on Dec 15, 2020 NO ONE… Literally no one will turn down a bowl of this yummy, light and fluffy garlic mashed potatoes – It is THE ultimate comfort food! It is such a good side dish for roasted meats, spicy gravies or even roasted vegetables. This recipe tastes exactly like the stuff they serve at restaurants. And there’s one specific step which makes it restaurant style – how the potatoes are mashed. You are left with a velvety smooth texture and loads of flavour from the garlic. Though the recipe looks fairly simple, there are a few technicalities that you should pay attention to.
Use The Right Potatoes
Since this dish puts potatoes in the spotlight, using the right kind of potatoes is so crucial. Ideally, I would have liked to use Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes. Since we don’t have those here in India, I’ve used old potatoes rather than new ones. New potatoes have more water content than old potatoes, so they’re foamy and crumbly – not the best choice for mashed potatoes. Lumpy, bland mashed potatoes can ruin a good mood like no other. So use the right potatoes!!
Steps To Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
There are three main steps to make garlic mashed potatoes. I’ve explained how and why to follow these steps exactly as given. For this recipe, we have peeled the potatoes. The potatoes should be cut into approximately 1.5 inch pieces. If they are too big, they won’t cook through. And if they are too small, they’ll cook too fast and start breaking down in the water while boiling. The water should be room temperature when you add the potatoes. It should not already be boiling, like how you cook pasta. Adding potatoes to boiling water will only cook the exterior of the pieces and the pieces won’t cook through fast enough. Also, don’t forget to season the boiling potatoes with salt! To check if the potatoes are done, mash a piece of potato with a fork. It should be fork tender and get mashed easily. I’ve seen a lot of people making mashed potatoes in a stand mixer or using a potato mixer. While this may seem convenient, using a stand mixer can overwork the potatoes and make them lose the desired consistency. Sieving potatoes might seem like a tiresome step at first. But trust me, the satin smooth texture and creaminess of the mashed potatoes when you sieve the boiled potatoes is to die for. Thank me later. Most restaurants use the sieve method to get that creamy irresistible mash! Use a sieve which has slightly larger pores. A sieve that’s too fine will take way more arm strength and time.
Infusing Butter and Garlic
For that steakhouse style mash, take normal mashed potatoes up a notch by infusing oodles of butter and roasted garlic. We do this by adding minced or grated garlic to butter and heating them together gently (without burning the butter or garlic). Then, milk is added to the pan and simmered for a few minutes. This infuses the garlic flavour in both butter and milk which results in a beautiful flavour that’s consistent through the mashed potatoes.This is totally a guilty pleasure kinda recipe! So, DO NOT skimp on the butter!! You can make a thicker creamy mash or a loose creamy mash. This depends on how much milk you add. Milk and cream add so much richness to the mash that every bite is supremely satisfying. We take our mash very seriously! So here’s a quick list of Do’s and Dont’s that you can refer to for the best creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes DO’S
Use old potatoes vs new – Old potatoes have a thicker skin. If you live outside India, look for Yukon Gold which are literally the gold standard in potatoes for mashSalt the water that you’ll use to boil potatoesSieve the boiled potatoes while they are still hot. This makes it easy to mash potatoesUse a fork or a spatula while sievingUse full fat butter, cream and milkDig in!
Mashed Potatoes DON’TS
Add potatoes to boiling waterUse a blender or food processorOverwork the potatoesSkimp on butterBurn the garlic butter infusion
Some simple topping ideas to jazz it up
Freshly ground pepperThyme or RosemaryMinced onionsChopped parsley
Got some leftover mash? Try these Leftover Mashed Potato Ham Cakes
Serve a bowl of creamy garlic mashed potatoes with
Veg Gravy with MushroomsRoasted Spatchcock ChickenSpinach Mushroom Stuffed ChickenCreamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken ThighsCaramelized Onion Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Watch how to make Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe Video
