jacked up mashed potatoes
Have I ever told you how much I love mashed potatoes? Not so much the plain-white-with-gravy kind, but the skin-on kind with a bunch of other stuff (garlic, fried shallots, herbs, vegetables, cheese) dumped in. One of my go-to lunches at home is a few small potatoes, mashed up with sauteed or roasted vegetables (usually green brassica things like kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, or broccoli but also green beans or spinach) with an egg or two on top. This is a good guide. Sometimes I use yogurt, buttermilk, or creme fraiche instead of milk, and often I use butter instead of olive oil (or both). The photo is of mashed Yukon gold potatoes with thinly sliced brussels sprouts and shredded kale that got brown and a little crispy in a hot pan. I also added fresh thyme and aged white cheddar because they are two of my favorites. Garlic or fried shallots would’ve been good too.
Indispensable mashed potato tips I’ve picked up:
- Start with cut-up potatoes and salt in cold water, then bring to a boil. This helps them cook more evenly, I think.
- After the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and let them dry off a bit before mashing them. This helps them get fluffy, I think.
- Fat (oil, butter) will make them taste delicious, so don’t even think of skipping it.
