BajaNomad

Asking fpr Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipes

Gypsy Jan - 11-23-2009 at 08:51 PM

Please get back to me, I need to make a batch for nine guests on Thanksgiving.

TIA (Thanks in Advance),

GJ

Paula - 11-23-2009 at 09:06 PM

Hmmm... I don't think you can go wrong, just add garlic to potatoes...

Actually I think you don't need a recipe, just pointers. The flavor will be mellower if you use roasted garlic, and add it to a nice, rich batch of mashed potatoes.

So roast a head of garlic-- trim the top off, and brush the exposed cloves with a little olive oil. Wrap the head in foil, and roast in a hot grill or oven for 15- 20 minutes or so. Squeeze the cloves out and puree with the potatoes. Add butter, cream or crema, milk salt and pepper as desired.

DENNIS - 11-23-2009 at 09:07 PM

http://www.mashed-potatoes-recipe.com/garlic-mashed-potatoes...

BajaNuts - 11-23-2009 at 09:18 PM

GJ-

here's my trick---

You can purchase 1# to 5# of peeled fresh garlic cloves. Check Costco or ask your local grocer's produce department to order a tub for you. (you may be running tight on time for Thanksgiving, but most stores get produce almost daily)

Pick through the peeled cloves and discard or trim as needed. Also look for the hard stem end which should be pulled off.

Put the cloves in any kind of baking dish, slather generously with olive oil and put in the oven at 275degrees for .....quite a while.....maybe 2-3 hours. Sorry I can't be more precise on the time frame, but when I do this, I'm also doing other processing stuff in the kitchen.

Stir the cloves about every 30 minutes, and when they are soft and gently brown, take them out of the oven. Drain the oil in a strainer....

SAVE THE OIL!

This is great for dressings or to use for saute-ing

Now- once you have the roasted cloves, you can puree them in a food processor or just put them in small containers and freeze it. Pint freezer bags pressed flat are good also. This makes it very easy to chunk off a bit of the roasted garlic for whatever you need.

I've used this kind of roasted garlic to make exactly what you are looking for. Make regular mashed potatoes and add 1-2 tablespoons of roasted garlic......(plus a generous dollup of butter).......YUM!



PS- I have also done basically the same thing with an 18" cast iron fry pan on the stove top with a lid..................LOVE THAT IRON!


AND~ you can also puree fresh garlic cloves and freeze flat in pint bags. Makes it easy to break off a chunk of "fresh" ground garlic.

Let me know if this works for you. Bon Apetite!

Thank You!

Gypsy Jan - 11-23-2009 at 09:18 PM

It's amazing how a family member can freak you out, asking for a dish that you have never prepared before.

Udo - 11-23-2009 at 09:23 PM

I don't know if you are in Baja or have access to the store in the states.

Buy yourself a food mill or potato ricer. All available on line. If none available, a potato masher will do, along with an electric beater.

Allow about 1-1/2 large russet poatoes per person.
Take each potato and poke about 40 holes in the skin with a fork.
Bake each potato wrapped in tin foil. Add six smashed garlic cloves over the potatoes before wrapping. Do not add any oily substance to the outside of the peel.
Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Start checking the potatoes at 50 minutes by inserting a sharp paring knife. If it goes in without resistance, they are done. This is the easiest way to check because you don't know how fresh the potatoes are (newer potatoes cook in less time).
When the potatoes are done, unwrap the foil. Hold each hot potato with a dish towel, and then peel the skin off it. They must be very hot for the peel to come off cleanly. If you wait for them to cool off, there will be some potato that comes off with the peel.
Cut each potato into small chunks and place in a bowl.
Use about 1/5+-(depending on the freshness of the spud) cup of warm buttermilk or 1/2-1/2 for each potato, and a tablespoon of butter per potato. Better off with a little less liquid, and add after mashing as needed.
Run the baked garlic through a garlic press, and add to the mashed potatoes. Now take the electric mixer and beat the mashed potatoes along with the garlic, butter, buttermilk.
To give the potatoes that extra creamy consistency, use a wooden spoon to finish beating the potatoes. Try it without the spoon first, then make the extra effort with the spoon at a later time. The potatoes will come out so light that they will float in a hot broth.

Enjoy!

DianaT - 11-23-2009 at 09:25 PM

Great idea! Sound Great

BajaNuts - 11-23-2009 at 09:39 PM

great recipe Udo~

I've tried using the electric mixer a couple times and the spuds turned out very gummy (glutinous?)

Ever had that problem or does the creme and butter help with that?


PS- GJ- you can pretty much do what I said above in a small quantity by peeling a couple heads and either slow saute-ing them on the stovetop or roasting them in the oven. I know it may be cheating of sorts but if you cover the cloves in olive oil, cook them low and slow on the stove top until golden brown. Drain, etc...


And don't panic! Udo's recipe sounds great also. You'll be fine:yes:



[Edited on 11-24-2009 by BajaNuts]

Udo - 11-23-2009 at 09:58 PM

My tendency is to make things more difficult

But with mashed potatoes it's tough to go wrong.
GJ, if you can find it, use German or French butter...huge difference.
BN...when using the mixer, you actually have to overbeat the potatoes to get past the starch of the spuds. If the potatoes are mixed in two minutes, beat for seven or eight.
The world of difference comes out when using a ricer or food mill. Just add the butter, milk, salt, white pepper, and gently mix with a wire whisk or wooden spoon.

Udo - 11-23-2009 at 10:07 PM

If you like a little adventure

add a baked and peeled yam, or a baked and also peeled sweet potato.

BajaNuts - 11-23-2009 at 10:14 PM

French or German butter?!?!? Now that's kicking it up a notch!

Thanks, Udo, for the mixer info. I've not used the mixer since then because of that problem. The food mill always works good.

Lobsterman - 11-24-2009 at 02:19 PM

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
4 pounds russet potatoes, cut in ½ inch cubes
12 tablespoons butter (1 ½ sticks) cut into pieces
12 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups half & half
½ cup water
Salt & pepper

Foreword:
* cut the potatoes in small pieces to allow more surface area to soak up garlic flavor and to promote even cooking.

* to eliminate excess starch, which produces gluey mashed potatoes, give the raw, cut russets a good rinse under running water before adding them to the pot to simmer.

* cook the minced garlic (and a little sugar) in butter until the garlic is sticky and straw-colored; this blooms the garlic's sweet flavor and tempers its harshness.

*for deeply integrated garlic flavor, toss the raw potatoes with the garlic-butter mixture. Then add the half-and-half and water directly to the pot, cover, and gently cook until tender. Simmering the cut potatoes in half-and- half, butter, water, and garlic, sugar, and salt avoids the “washing away” of flavor that can come from boiling in just water.

Directions:
1. Place cut potatoes in colander. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and sugar, stirring often, until sticky and straw colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rinsed potatoes, 1 1/4 cups half-and-half, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Off heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining half-and-half until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Enhancement:
You can turn the mashed potatoes above into a casserole by mixing in 4 eggs and ¼ cup chives. Place in a casserole dish and bake on the top rack of the oven at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
The casserole can be made a day ahead of time (do not bake), cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then take out of the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature (about 1 hour). Then bake the casserole at 375 deg for 45 minutes instead of 35 minutes.

Bajahowodd - 11-24-2009 at 05:06 PM

OK. So tell me that I'm cranky. But I'm willing to bet that despite all the recipes and hints listed, if I was to whip up a bunch using instant mashed potatoes and packaged garlic powder, along with my little secret of substituting greek yogurt for milk, y'all would not be disappointed.

Mexicorn - 11-24-2009 at 05:18 PM

YOU GUYS KICK BURRO!!! THANK's FOR Asking Jan I'll Try my hand at it now!!
Also thanks Dennis on your Brine recipe I'm Rolling like the pimps in Punta Banda now yep, yeppers Rolling like the big dogs just in time for Turkey time!
Also Special thanks to Kandy at Anthony's for helping out with the stuffin!

Bajahowodd - Shh!

Gypsy Jan - 11-24-2009 at 05:39 PM

Please don't give away my secrets.

I will print out all the labour heavy recipes and hand out edited copies of them at dinner, claiming them as my own.

Happy Turkey Day, Y'all!

[Edited on 11-25-2009 by Gypsy Jan]

Fred - 11-24-2009 at 05:44 PM

Try spuds with

cream cheese
sour cream
and baked fresh garlic

Make a day ahead to let the spuds mellow out.

Hey Santiago

Gypsy Jan - 11-24-2009 at 05:49 PM

This thread may go to four pages, as well, with no hijacking.

How about integrating potatoes and cast iron, right here?

Udo - 11-24-2009 at 06:52 PM

I think that a great integration would be to bake the foil-covered poatoes inside of a large cast iron pot. That way the baking of the potatoes will be somewhat quicker because there will be no heat spikes and lulls from your oven thermometer.
I used to use a cast iron griddle the size of the bottom of the oven as a heat-dispersing device, but I now use a large pizza stone. It's easier to clean

Udo, You Are Da'Man

Gypsy Jan - 11-24-2009 at 07:10 PM

Everything you post about cooking makes me HUNGRY. I am going to explore all of your cooking wisdom.

Thank you, GJ

Udo - 11-24-2009 at 10:00 PM

Trust me GJ...

you can not beat making mashed potatoes with potators that are baked instead of boiled. Especially the oned that people cut into small pieces and then boild them. You can feel the starch building in your veins from the boiled ones.
Try them with baked Yukon Golds, plus a sweet potato, and add some shredded parmesan or peccorino/romano. Don't be afraid to try different chesses. About a tablespoom pre person.
In the restaurant business we have to incorporate portions per person so we don't waste food. At home, however, leftovers are good

baked mashed potatoes just rock!

Lobsterman - 11-25-2009 at 07:05 AM

While doing a little internet research on this topic I came arcoss an interesting article about the French guru on making mashed potatoes. Here's an excerpt.

....."The modern cook who has understood this best is probably the French chef Joël Robuchon (who 20 years ago was named chef of the century in France by the Gault Millau guide and whose dozen restaurants have a total of 25 Michelin stars). It would not do him enough credit to say that he owes his fame to his velvety, super-rich potato puree. But is not far from the truth, either. "He realized early on that if you give people potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes, they'll be eternally grateful, forever fulfilled," writes Patricia Wells in her 1991 book on Robuchon's cooking.

I traveled to Paris last month to sample the puree at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon: a pilgrimage in the search of the perfect mash. It was a lot like any other good potato puree I have tasted. Only much, much better. It was soft and creamy; as rich as Croesus, yet as light as snow.

"We have one cook who does nothing else," said L'Atelier's executive chef, Axel Manes.
There is no secret recipe: only the serious, even extreme, application of the three aforementioned principles. Robuchon potatoes are cooked in lightly salted water and then drained. For smooth, velvety structure without the risk of tangled starch molecules, the potatoes are pressed through a very-fine-mesh sieve. Not once, not twice, but three times. More water is removed by heating the riced potatoes in a pot over low heat. Hot milk is added, then cold butter is gradually beaten in with a whisk to form a creamy and airy emulsion.

It is impressive, yet quite simple. Still, it is not something you would make every day, even if you had time. Apart from the craftsmanship and the gentle but firm treatment of the potato, the difference between Robuchon's potato puree and most others is the amount of butter used. In fact, I have heard food scientists argue that the potato puree is really an emulsion, as closely related to the classical French sauces as to the mash we all know.
Exactly what that amount was I was unsure of. Before I left L'Atelier, though, chef Manes came to say goodbye, and I had the opportunity to find out.
"You use quite a lot of butter, don't you?" I asked him.
"Oh, yes! A lot!"
"How much?"
"Well, let me see. Every day we serve around 35 pounds of potato puree. For that we need 17 pounds of potatoes, and around 17 pounds of butter."
It caused me to suddenly remember the title of Phyllis Richman's culinary mystery novel: "The Butter Did It."
Robuchon's potato puree is probably the most sublime combination of a modest American spud and the extravagance of French cuisine. I am thankful that I now know how to achieve the perfect mash, yet I often end up settling for a little less.........."

[Edited on 11-25-2009 by Lobsterman]

Garlic Potatoes

The Gull - 11-25-2009 at 07:20 AM

The recipes with baked garlic are the best, especially when one deletes the potatoes from the recipe.:yes::fire:

[Edited on 11-25-2009 by The Gull]

Wow, Lobsterman

Gypsy Jan - 11-25-2009 at 04:37 PM

That quote is a treasure; I have saved it off to my files.

Thank you so much for sharing that bit of brilliant writing.

And a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Cheers, GJ

[Edited on 11-25-2009 by Gypsy Jan]

DianaT - 11-25-2009 at 04:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lobsterman
the potatoes are pressed through a very-fine-mesh sieve.


Sounds like the riced potatos grandma made a very long time ago. Have not heard it being done this way for years. Thanks

DanO - 11-25-2009 at 05:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
OK. So tell me that I'm cranky. But I'm willing to bet that despite all the recipes and hints listed, if I was to whip up a bunch using instant mashed potatoes and packaged garlic powder, along with my little secret of substituting greek yogurt for milk, y'all would not be disappointed.


Whether or not you are cranky is besides the point. There is no way in hell I'd be fooled. Those boxed spuds taste just like the square of mashed "potatoes" sitting next to the nasty Salisbury steak in the TV dinners my mom used to shove at me when I was a kid. No amount of garlic powder and yogurt could obscure that manufactured taste and texture. By the way, where is Salisbury, and what can be done to help its deluded populace, who apparently believe that a wafer of overcooked burger floating in runny snot passed off as gravy is a "steak"?

Hi Udo

Gypsy Jan - 11-25-2009 at 05:19 PM

Just got back from the last-minute shopping trip to the Mega Comercial Mexicana in Rosarito and...well...no German or French unsalted butter, but I brought home a brick of Anchor Brand New Zealand unsalted butter (Mantequilla Pura de Nueva Zelanda).

[Edited on 11-26-2009 by Gypsy Jan]

Udo - 11-25-2009 at 10:11 PM

I have previously purchased some of the New Zeland butter. It is somewhat closer to Dutch butter than French or German. It does have a very good flavor.
The best of all the butter flavors is the Swiss butter, where the French tried to copy the flavor from.
The way one distinguishes each butter's flavor is by clarifying it (slowly cooking it down until it gently melts, then separating the top foam, and then bottom solids). Let the clarified butter solidify in the fridge, then shmear it on white bread. Don't add any salt or other flavorings, then you'll get the actual butter savor.
The clarified butter can then be used to cook with without the fear of burning it because the pan temperature is too high.
However, in keeping with the mashed potatoes theme of this post, butter is best used in it's original state, as well as cold for best consistency.
It's nice to know that New Zealand butter is available in BaJa.
I usually have to make a trip to L.A. area's Alpine Village, or Surfas Restaurant supply for the specialty butters, as well as some specialty fats (like lard from around the kidney area of the pig).

BajaNuts - 11-26-2009 at 12:16 AM

hey Bajahowodd and DanO ,

while it is no match for the real thang, Costco came out with some instant potatoes which are just that....POTATOES!

NO extra hydrogenated stuff. and when you add some pre-roasted garlic ------ (see earlier post------)

pre-baked/roasted garlic and butter, it's pretty good for a quick family dinner.


Would I want to serve it for all the family wannabe-gourmands??

Probably not...


but then again, maybe I would serve it to them just to see what they say and if they could tell the difference

;D:spingrin:

BajaNuts - 11-27-2009 at 05:46 PM

Hey Gypsy Jan!

How did the spuds turn out? What did you do and how did they like it?

'Nuts

A Sick Dog Shortcircuited My Culinary Plans

Gypsy Jan - 11-27-2009 at 05:59 PM

We spent the day in the vet's office, instead of making spuds.

But Nutz, I am going to try yours and the other recipes over this holiday season. I am kind of slow and meticulous and want to make things turn out right.

I promise to report back to you and the Nomads!

Cheers, GJ

tattuna - 12-10-2009 at 09:24 PM

Okay, so I tried Bajanut's roasted garlic recipe and Udo's baked/mashed recipe and ruined them both royally!

I roasted the garlic at 275 and checked every 30 mins. After an hour and a half the garlic looked dark brown and rubbery, so I took it out. I put it in the garlic press and nothing came out. it just flattened in there so I scraped up what i could.

Then I tried to bake the potatoes. At 50 mins, I felt some resistance with the knife when I checked em. Another 15 mins and it went through smooth so I removed em. I then tried to mash em by hand, and got nowhere quick. I don't have a food processor so I tried the blender. Potatoes were too tough and the blender started smoking!

Did what I could and mixed the papas and ajo together and it was just bad!

Any suggestions? I'm thinking less time on the garlic and more time on the potatoes, but I'm not much of a cook. Also, can this be done with red potatoes? Thanx for all your advice. I really wanna figure these out.

fishbuck - 12-10-2009 at 09:28 PM

Wow, that sounds tramatic! I sure am glad I don't cook.:lol:

boe4fun - 12-10-2009 at 09:33 PM

My wife adds wasabe to her mashed potatos - yummm!

C205Driver - 12-10-2009 at 10:24 PM

. . . AND. . .do not forget to put in a very big dollop of REAL mayonaise. . .mmmmmm

BajaDanD - 12-10-2009 at 10:41 PM

you can buy instant garlic mashed potatoes for about a doller a pack Nobody will ever know.

Lobsterman - 12-11-2009 at 06:02 AM

I made the garlic mash potato casserole recipe above for Thanksgiving. It is quite simple just follow the directions to a tee. The 1/2" potatoe pieces are a must. It was a hit with the guests because nobody every had it before. Leftovers you can make mash potatoe cakes, dust patties with flour or bread crumbs, fry them up, place a dollop of sour cream with fresh chopped chives on top. Great compliment to a main course. I made the casserole hours before the guests arrived then popped it into the oven an hour before dinner was served.

With mash potatoes never use a mixer. Gently mash the potates with a ricer type device or press them thru a small wire mesh shifter like the french do above. Then gently fold in any additional ingredients into the mash potatoes with a rubber spatula. Heavy mixing or beating will turn the potatoe molecules into glue.

[Edited on 12-11-2009 by Lobsterman]

Hi Bajanuts

Gypsy Jan - 12-11-2009 at 12:56 PM

Here is a recount of my recent tries using your advice and Udo's.

The potatoes turned out fantastic, with either method, slightly different texture results, but flavor equally good.

I have not been very successful with roasting the garlic. Udo said to tuck them into the foil with the potatoes while baking - they turned out dry, almost like a fruit leather, good flavor, just not mash-able.

I had the same problem with the roast in oil at 275 degrees method, the garlic turned a yummy brown, but was too grainy to mash and press through a sieve.

I used fresh-bought heads of garlic, so staleness wasn't a factor.

Any advice/comments are appreciated, TIA (Thanks in Advance.

Seasonally yours, GJ

BajaNuts - 12-11-2009 at 07:34 PM

Hey Foodies!

Glad to hear folks are trying the recipes and with some success!


For the roasted garlic issues- possible lower the temp to 250, and definitely don't cook it as long! Oven temps differ, so that is always a consideration.

I oven roast the garlic cloves just until light tan color. As I said before, when I do the garlic, I do 5-10# at a time and then freeze it in small tubs for use in large recipes. When doing it that way, I usually have a few cloves that get dark brown from the corners of the pan if I don't stir them enough, and they are hard to mash/chop, but the bulk of the cloves are soft and light tan color.

It's more about the tenderness/softness of the cloves than the color. I guess I should amend the earlier instructions to say-
"roast until lightly tan and soft" instead of "gently brown".


Tattuna- it sounds like the garlic was cooked too long. Dark brown is too dark if the goal is to mash/smash the cloves. And if I have a small amount of roasted garlic to mash, I just put it on a plate or cutting board and smash it with a fork.

GJ- it sounds like your garlic was a little more done than it should be. If it's golden brown, it's almost like the sugars have crystalized like candy and it will be difficult to sieve. Less heat, or less cooking time, lighter tan, no brown.

For the time it takes to roast the garlic in the oven, I would encourage people to do at least a pound of garlic and then freeze it in a couple small tubs or a pint-size ziploc bag. It's easy to break off a piece for whatever you want to put it in. Potatoes, stirfry, even hashbrowns, roasts, .....

I have also done "roasted" garlic on the stovetop for just a few cloves, but it's technically not ROASTED- I used a tiny saucepan, covered the cloves with olive oil and cooked them on med-low until brown. This method usually ended up with more of the darker brown cloves instead of the light tan. Probably because I was in a hurry and had the temp too high.

Also- One more note for those who do cloves in the oven- I have noticed that the cloves sometimes turn a funky green shade during the early stages of roasting, but don't worry! I don't know why they do that, but they roast up just fine! Just keep stirring occasionally....



Man- we just had an awesome pot roast (made by 'Nuts2 in a cast iron dutch oven pan~~~) and I'm really full but all this talk about roasted garlic is making me hungry again!:lol:


And psssst~BajaDanD~ I've used those box potatoes in a pinch and they're pretty good!;D (don't tell!) :lol:

[Edited on 12-12-2009 by BajaNuts]

[Edited on 12-12-2009 by BajaNuts]

BajaNuts - 12-11-2009 at 09:05 PM

Just thought I'd add a little about cooking/boiling potatoes.

Potatoes don't need to be totally covered in water to be cooked. If you have a good saucepan with a properly fitting lid, all you need is about half way up the potatoes. Bring them up to boil and then turn the burner down to medium or low, just to keep it simmering. The steam will cook the spuds as much as boiling water.

Mom used to drain off and save the water from the potatoes and then pour a little back as needed into the mashed potatoes to get them moist. It probably retains more of the nutrients that way. I just drain the water, cuz I like to use that totally unhealthy butter in our spuds, but it's an option!.

Anyway, Mom used a checker-board design hand masher, I use one of those zig-zag wire mashers. They would probably get a little lighter texture if I ran them through a ricer/sieve, but the hand masher works fine for us.

GO SPUDS! And GARLIC!

[Edited on 12-12-2009 by BajaNuts]

Lindalou - 12-16-2009 at 12:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DanO
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
OK. So tell me that I'm cranky. But I'm willing to bet that despite all the recipes and hints listed, if I was to whip up a bunch using instant mashed potatoes and packaged garlic powder, along with my little secret of substituting greek yogurt for milk, y'all would not be disappointed.


Whether or not you are cranky is besides the point. There is no way in hell I'd be fooled. Those boxed spuds taste just like the square of mashed "potatoes" sitting next to the nasty Salisbury steak in the TV dinners my mom used to shove at me when I was a kid. No amount of garlic powder and yogurt could obscure that manufactured taste and texture. By the way, where is Salisbury, and what can be done to help its deluded populace, who apparently believe that a wafer of overcooked burger floating in runny snot passed off as gravy is a "steak"?
Now Dano, tell us how you really, really feel!:lol: