Creamy Mashed Potatoes aka Janet’s Favorite
Why a mashed potato recipe? Because everyone makes mashed potatoes, but I have discovered that few make them the way I do. Try it for something different!
Difficulty: Easy
Time: About a half hour
Ingredients:
Russet or yellow potatoes (about 6 medium-sized)
2 cloves of garlic (minced in a garlic press)
Way too much salted butter (about 250 g or 2 sticks)
1 container of whipping cream or heavy cream (1 pint or about 500 mL)
Salt and pepper to taste, fine not course
A few sprigs of rosemary, if desired
Directions:
DO NOT PEEL THE POTATOES. Simply wash them and pat dry. Cut into quarters. (If you absolutely love peeling potatoes, go ahead, but honestly, mashed potatoes with skins on are supremely delicious. You don’t wanna miss out.)
Poke some holes in the potato quarters with a fork and rub lightly with salt. This helps then cook more quickly and evenly.
Plop the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with the minced garlic and about ½ stick of butter cut into small pieces (75 g).
Nuke the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until quite soft.
If the potatoes do not fall apart easily with a knife and fork, stir them, and heat them for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the heavy cream and remaining butter and use the IMMERSION BLENDER to mash them up.
Reasoning? Using an immersion blender can make the potatoes gluey and bring the gluten out, especially if you over-do it! Adding the whipping cream and butter helps solve this problem by replenishing the liquid necessary to mash the potatoes until creamy.
DO NOT overblend. Just get the big lumps out and move on.
When finished, add a bit of salt and pepper if needed, and decorate the top with a few sprigs of rosemary.
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