Potatoes Part 3- Garlic Mashed

I am sure that there are lots of ways to make garlic mashed potatoes; I make mine with roasted garlic.





To roast garlic:

Preheat oven to 375º F. Slice the top off of a head of garlic to expose the tops of the cloves within. Place garlic in the middle of a square of tinfoil and drizzle the top of the cloves with olive oil. Enclose the head of garlic in the tinfoil and place in an upright position in the oven for about 45 minutes. The cloves will both darken and soften as the garlic roasts. In the meantime, prepare the potatoes for mashing.

Mashed potatoes (instructions for the novice cook):

It is best to use a ‘waxy’ potato for boiling, although any type of potato will do; I particularly like Yukon Gold. Peel potatoes and cut in half or quarters depending on how large they are. Place in a large pot of salted water, cover the pot with its lid and boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until a knife can be inserted easily into the flesh. The larger the pieces of potato, the longer the cooking will take. When cooked, drain the potatoes then add butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste.
Mash madly.

To make them garlicky, grab the base of the head of roasted garlic and squeeze the softened cloves into the mashed potatoes. Stir briefly to combine.

Editorial note: Some people prefer not to remove the skins from the potatoes for boiling and mashing. This is certainly an option particularly if they are thin (skins) and you do not mind either the texture or colour of the skins in the mash.