tonight i made
roasted garlic and chive mashed potatoes to accompany the porterhouse steaks we got on sale last week. they were phenomenal, recipe below.
1.5 lbs of all purpose white potatoes
2 heads garlic
1 stick salted butter*
2 tbsp sour cream*
1/3 cup heavy cream*
1 handful chives
salt and pepper to taste
slice the ends (the non pointy papery side) of the garlic and place pointy side down on a piece of aluminum foil. drizzle with olive oil and bring up the sides of the foil, making what i call a foil flower, and place in 400 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes. larger heads of garlic need more, smaller less; i start watching around 30 mins. it needs to be browned and squishy. remove the garlic and allow it to cool.
in the meantime, peel your potatoes and cut into cubes. soak the cubes in a sinkful of cold water for 15 minutes, then rinse and place in the pot. cover with cold water and—this is important—add enough salt (don’t bother with kosher here) so that the water itself tastes salty if you dip your finger in it. this is vital because it adequately salts the potatoes and pretty much eliminates the need for salt later. bring the taters to a boil, and cook them there, covered, until you can scoop one out and poke it with a fork and it falls apart. remove from heat and drain—DO NOT RINSE—and immediately return them to the hot pot. this allows more moisture to escape, leaving you with fluffier potatoes!
squeeze the garlic from the pointy end directly into your pot, and add 1/2 the butter, pepper, and use your electric mixer or potato masher to start working them together. once this is all worked in, taste and judge the texture. my taters were a little old, so i started with about half of the cream and the rest of the butter and a dash of salt and pepper, and mixed again. taste again, and continue to add until the consistancy and flavor are just right. the chives should go in right before your last spin with the mixer—you dont want them getting all beat up in there. serve and enjoy!
*note: i used stuff we had laying around the house. evaporated milk would be a great substitute for the cream, and more sour cream would add tangy flavor, reducing the need for butter. you could also add scallions—i would have if i had any. enjoy!
I didn’t make this (catedunn did), but I’m quite sure it would make a great dinner! :-)
Source: onesong
