Description
Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes are a luscious and creamy side dish perfect for any occasion, from everyday dinners to festive holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe features slow-cooked garlic confit, tender gold potatoes, fresh herbs, rich heavy cream, and salted butter, resulting in a smooth, flavorful mash that elevates any meal.
Ingredients
Garlic Confit
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- Olive oil, enough to cover garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and cut into uniform pieces
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 leaves fresh sage
- 8 oz salted butter (can substitute with unsalted butter)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare garlic confit: Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a small saucepan. Cover the garlic cloves with olive oil. Cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and golden brown. Remove from heat and let the garlic cool in the oil.
- Prep and cook potatoes: Peel and cut the gold potatoes into uniform chunks. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan along with the whole milk, heavy cream, fresh thyme sprigs, and fresh sage leaves.
- Simmer until tender: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain and remove herbs: Drain the potatoes, reserving the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the fresh thyme and sage leaves from the drained liquid.
- Rice the potatoes and garlic: Press the cooked potatoes and the roasted garlic cloves from the confit through a potato ricer for a smooth texture.
- Mix in butter and cream: Stir in the salted butter and one cup of the reserved cream and milk mixture into the mashed potatoes. Gradually add more of the reserved liquid until your desired consistency is reached.
- Season and serve: Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Top with additional garlic confit and fresh chives if desired for garnish and extra flavor.
Notes
- Slow cooking the garlic in olive oil mellows its sharpness and adds a rich, caramelized flavor.
- Using a potato ricer helps achieve ultra-smooth mashed potatoes without lumps.
- You can substitute unsalted butter if preferred; adjust salt accordingly.
- Reserve cooking liquid to control the creaminess and consistency of the mash.
- This dish pairs beautifully with roasted meats, poultry, or vegetarian mains.
