The people I live with are not fans of potatoes unless they are sweet potatoes. As a result I do not make potatoes often, probably once every two weeks or so.Leo Sr will choose rice over potatoes on any day so I try to make potatoes more interesting.
There is nothing worse than lumpy and under seasoned mashed potatoes, I have bad memories from boarding school. Making great mashed potatoes is easy if you pay attention to what you are doing. I prefer to peel my potatoes and cube them into similar sizes. That way they cook evenly. I boil them in cold water, if you use hot water the outer layer will cook faster than the middle which means when you mash them the texture will be inconsistent.
I like garlic infused mashed potatoes anything. Infusing with garlic is easy, melt butter in a saucepan and add smashed garlic to the pan; cook for about 15 minutes and set it aside. At this time, the potatoes should be cooked, drain the water and put the pot back on the switched off stove(it will be still hot). Mash the potatoes and add the butter, salt, pepper and warm cream. Make sure the cream is warm otherwise the temperature of the potatoes will go down. Cold mashed potatoes are never a good idea.
To make the mashed potatoes light and fluffy you can use a hand held mixer on high after mashing the potatoes. A whisk or musika will work as well. If you are not serving the potatoes right away I will suggest putting them in a slow cooker on low or in the oven on the lowest setting until you are ready to serve them.
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 cup warm heavy cream
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
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Add potatoes to a medium pan and fill with water, cover all the potatoes. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
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Melt butter on low heat in a different saucepan. Add smashed garlic and cook on low to infuse the garlic, about 10-15 minutes. Remove garlic.
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Drain potatoes, making sure to get rid of any excess moisture. Put the pot back on switched off stove and mash the potatoes. Pour in melted butter, salt, pepper and heavy cream and mash until smooth.
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Using a hand held mixer, beat the potatoes on high until all ingredients are incorporated and potatoes are smooth and fluffy.
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Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley.