Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

I know it's been a while since my last post, but the girls and I have taken turns being sick for the past 3 weeks. I haven't been up for trying many new or fancy recipes; instead, I've been wanting comfort food. And nothing feels like comfort food to me more than mashed potatoes. The problem with mashed potatoes, however, is that they usually contain lots of dairy products in the form of butter and cream, or milk if you're trying to make them a little healthier. That much dairy just isn't good for me or the girls to consume on a regular basis. Not wanting to renounce mashed potatoes, I first came up with a version using clarified butter and Lactaid milk. They are good, but they still have a fair amount of milk. The other issue with that recipe is that often I'm too lazy to clarify the butter.

So I wanted to try to come up with an easier alternative that would still have the right mashed potato consistency and a good flavor. First I tried a Cook's Illustrated recipe for garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes. These were okay, but Michael didn't want to come near me for days afterward because of the lingering garlic aroma. So I tweaked the recipe quite a bit, and now we have delicious olive oil mashed potatoes with just a hint of garlic. Sometimes I also add in a couple tablespoonfuls of sour cream, which gives the potatoes a great creamy flavor. However, the sour cream is not necessary, especially if you are going to use the mashed potatoes to soak up any extra sauce or gravy on your plate.

This recipe is for rustic mashed potatoes, with potato skins and a few lumps in the finished product. If you would like to make more refined mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes before placing them in the water, and use a potato ricer or a mixer to mash them.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
serves 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin)
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes. These mashed potatoes really do need the Yukon Gold variety. Other kinds of potatoes just don't work as well or taste as good.
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt (or sea salt)
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream (optional). Use a full-fat sour cream, like Daisy brand, that contains only cream and no added milk or other ingredients.

Instructions:

Combine the olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. If you have any fresh herbs, you can chop them finely and add them to the olive oil as well.

Rinse the potatoes and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. I usually cut them down the middle length-wise and then in 1-inch sections width-wise. Place the cut potatoes in a medium pot and fill with water until the water covers the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and stir. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-high and let the potatoes simmer vigorously for 10 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are done by inserting a knife. If there is some resistance, simmer for up to 5 more minutes. If there is no resistance, pour the potatoes into a colander. Let the potatoes sit in the colander for a couple of minutes to dry them out a bit. Then return the potatoes to the empty pot. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Pour in the olive oil and continue to mash until the potatoes reach the desired consistency. Then stir in the black pepper, salt, and sour cream, if desired.