Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Garlic mashed potatoes are creamy, fluffy, and studded with soft garlic that tastes sweet and mild when cooked whole. The trick is boiling the potatoes until they fall apart easily, then mashing them while still hot so they absorb the butter and cream without getting dense.

Ingredients for Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Russet potatoes break down into a fluffy base, while garlic cloves cook until soft and sweet. Butter and heavy cream make them rich and smooth. Salt and black pepper season the dish, and a splash of whole milk lets you adjust the texture at the end.

Why This Garlic Mashed Potatoes Works

Russet potatoes have high starch and low moisture, which means they absorb butter and cream without turning gluey. Boiling them whole keeps them from waterlogging, and mashing them while hot lets them take in fat while they are still steaming. The garlic cloves cook in the same pot, becoming soft and sweet instead of sharp and raw.

Mashing by hand with a ricer or masher gives you control over texture. If you use a food processor, the starch breaks down too much and the potatoes turn into glue. Warming the cream and milk before stirring them in keeps the temperature high so the potatoes stay light and fluffy instead of getting heavy and dense.

Mistakes To Avoid

Boiling potatoes cut into pieces instead of whole lets them absorb too much water and turn watery. The finished mash will be thin and grainy no matter how much you drain them. Always boil potatoes whole and unpeeled, then cut them after they are cooked and drained.

Mashing with a food processor or blender breaks the starch cells too much and turns the potatoes into a sticky, gluey paste. Stick to a ricer, a handheld masher, or a wooden spoon to push them through a fine-mesh sieve. Your mash will stay creamy and light.

Stirring in cold cream or milk cools the potatoes down and makes them stiff and heavy. Always warm the dairy in a separate pot or in the microwave for 30 seconds before you add it. The potatoes will stay fluffy and absorb the fat evenly.

Oversalting at the start makes the salt hide in the hot potatoes, so you end up adding more and more. Add salt gradually and taste as you go, seasoning the most at the very end when you can taste the true flavor. This is the only way to get the salt right.

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, whole and unpeeled
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (57 grams)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (120 milliliters)
• 1/4 cup whole milk (60 milliliters)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and place the whole potatoes and peeled garlic cloves in it. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slides through the potatoes with no resistance.
3. While the potatoes cook, pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until steaming, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not boil.
4. Pour the potatoes and garlic into a colander and let them drain for 30 seconds.
5. Cut the potatoes into quarters and pass them through a ricer into a large bowl, or mash them with a handheld masher in the pot until mostly smooth.
6. Stir in the butter until melted, then pour in the warm cream and milk while stirring gently until the potatoes are fluffy and light.
7. Taste and add salt and black pepper to your liking. Serve warm.