Roasted Garlic and Chive Mash

Ingredients

• 1 kg Maris Piper potatoes (whole, for baking)
• 1 head garlic (whole bulb)
• olive oil (drizzle for roasting garlic)
• 180 g salted butter (cold, added a bit at a time)
• 100 ml whole milk (up to 150ml; ideally warmed)
• 2 tbsp chives (chopped)
• salt (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. 2

   Place the whole potatoes on a baking tray. Prepare the garlic by wrapping the head in foil with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Bake both the potatoes and the garlic for approximately 1 hour until the potatoes are tender.

3. 3

   Once the garlic is tender, squeeze the roasted cloves out of the bulb and set them aside.

4. 4

   While the potatoes are still hot, cut them open and pass the flesh through a ricer into a bowl. Keep the skins aside to cook up as a separate snack if desired.

5. 5

   For an extra smooth texture, pass the riced potatoes through a fine sieve or drum sieve.

6. 6

   Transfer the smooth potato mash into a pan over low heat.

7. 7

   Incorporate the cold salted butter a bit at a time, stirring constantly so the heat of the potatoes melts the butter and creates an emulsion.

8. 8

   Add the milk (ideally warmed) and beat it through the mixture until the mash is creamy and smooth.

9. 9

   Season with salt to taste, then mix in the reserved roasted garlic and the chopped chives.

Notes

The author recommends keeping the potato skins after ricing to crisp them up as a snack. Using cold butter and warm milk helps achieve the best texture. For the smoothest results, a drum sieve is highly recommended.

Nutrition per serving

• side dish
• potato
• mash
• vegetarian
• roasted garlic
• comfort food
• baked