Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Garlic lovers, this is your mashed potatoes. It builds flavor in two layers: sweet, mellow roasted garlic mashed into a paste, plus a little minced raw garlic simmered right in the pot with the potatoes for a brighter, sharper note.

Roasting is the magic step. Gently cooking the cloves in oil transforms garlic’s harsh, pungent bite into something soft, sweet, and almost nutty. Do not toss the oil afterward, either, since that garlic-infused oil gets folded back into the potatoes for even more flavor.

A couple of techniques keep the mash light. Warm the milk before adding it so the potatoes stay hot and fluffy, and mash gently. Overworking potatoes releases their starch and turns the mash gummy and gluey instead of creamy. Add the butter, garlic paste, milk, and as much of that garlic oil as you like, then mash or whip just to your preferred consistency. It is a side dish that steals the show.

Chef Tips

• Roast the garlic until soft and golden to turn its sharp bite sweet and mellow.
• Save the garlic-infused oil and fold it back into the potatoes for extra flavor.
• Warm the milk first and mash gently. Overworking the potatoes makes them gluey.

Variations

• Stir in grated parmesan, cream cheese, or sour cream for an even richer mash.
• Leave the skins on and use Yukon Golds for a more rustic texture.
• Fold in chopped chives or caramelized shallots for another layer of flavor.