Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1000 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- garlic, peeled whole cloves
- 10 g kosher salt
- 120 ml whole milk, warm
- 60 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 56 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1031 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 35 mg
- Potassium
- 1672 mg
- Calcium
- 81 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 115 mg
- Phosphorus
- 270 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 116 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 54 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 2 mcg
- Water
- 32 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even 3cm cubes to ensure they cook at the same rate.
Place the potato cubes and peeled whole garlic cloves into a large pot. Cover with cold water by 2cm and add the kosher salt.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and offer no resistance when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes and garlic thoroughly in a colander.
Return the drained potatoes and garlic to the warm pot off the heat. Mash thoroughly using a potato masher until smooth.
In a small saucepan, warm the whole milk and unsalted butter until the butter melts and the mixture reaches a gentle simmer at around 82°C (180°F).
Pour the warm milk and butter mixture over the mashed potatoes. Gently fold until fully incorporated and creamy. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Starting potatoes in cold water is essential. Dropping them into boiling water cooks the outside too quickly, leaving the inside hard and undercooked.
- Boiling the whole garlic cloves directly with the potatoes softens their pungency, resulting in a sweet, mellow garlic flavor that infuses the entire dish rather than a harsh raw bite.
- For the silkiest texture possible, pass the boiled potatoes and garlic through a potato ricer instead of using a standard hand masher.
- After draining the potatoes, returning them to the hot, empty pot for a minute allows excess surface moisture to evaporate, preventing watery mashed potatoes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in portions. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk to restore creaminess.
Troubleshooting
Potatoes have a gummy or gluey texture
Cause: Overworking the starches by mashing too vigorously or using a food processor
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a gentle hand with a manual potato masher or potato ricer, and mix only until combined
Mashed potatoes cool down too quickly while mixing
Cause: Adding cold milk and butter directly to the hot potatoes
Fix: Gently reheat the entire mixture on the stovetop over low heat, stirring continuously
Prevention: Always heat the dairy ingredients before mixing them into the mashed potatoes
Cultural Context
Mashed potatoes have been a staple of American comfort food and holiday dinners for generations. The addition of whole garlic cloves boiled alongside the potatoes reflects a simple yet highly effective technique to elevate the traditional butter-and-milk preparation, making it an essential side dish for autumnal feasts and Thanksgiving celebrations.
