Mashed potatoes are just one of the comfiest comfort foods that ever comforted. Am I right? I have loved buttery, creamy mashed potatoes ever since I can remember. In fact I’m pretty sure they have always been one of my favorite foods. And I’m not even a potato fan.. I’d much rather eat rice.
But on to the potatoes..
There are a couple of things that are important when you’re making mashed potatoes:
- Don’t
undercook your potatoes.
2. Don’t
We all know that undercooked potatoes result in lumpy mashed potatoes that have those hard little bits in them. We’ve probably all done it and it’s heartbreaking.
But of equal importance, overcooking your potatoes causes them to absorb way too much water and results in a kind of mealy, watery, substance. It will be smooth, but it definitely won’t be creamy. Not sufficiently draining all the water out of your potatoes can also produce this same effect, so make sure those babies are well drained. I’m struggling with how to really describe this texture, but you probably can picture what I’m trying to describe and I’m sure we’ll agree that it’s not great.
So, how do you get it just right? Well, practice certainly helps, but anyone can get the hang of it. My rule is, if a fork goes into the piece of potato really, really easily, then it’s done. It should feel very soft. But, if you prick it and the potato begins to literally fall apart in the water, then it’s gone over the edge.
Let’s talk for just a second about browning butter and then on to the recipe!
When you brown the butter, it gives it a delicious caramelized taste, completely different from plain melted butter. There’s nothing wrong with plain melted butter, I mean, I LOVE it. But, why not make it even better?
Browning butter does take some concentration and it doesn’t babysit itself, so don’t plan to turn the heat on, walk away and fold a load of laundry, and come back to magically browned butter.
You’ll want to watch it and stir it pretty constantly so that it browns evenly.
You’ll notice little brown flecks forming at the bottom, and this is good! This means your butter is starting to brown. You can brown your butter as little or as much (darker) as you want, and it all depends on what you prefer.
If you leave it over the heat too long, those lovely little brown flecks will start to turn black and burn, so just be aware of that, and don’t let this happen to your precious butter.
The rest of this recipe is pretty self-explanatory and fairly simple. The garlic adds a nice element of flavor that says “I’m kind of a big deal”. I hope you have fun making these (licking the beaters is recommended), and an even better time eating them up.
Happy potato whipping and butter browning!
Browned Butter Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes medium, russet
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 clove minced garlic (1 tsp.)
- 2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Peel potatoes, rinse well and cut into about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. (I use about 8 cups of water)Add 1 tsp. of salt to the water, cover and bring to a rumbling boil. When potatoes start to boil, remove the lid and turn heat down to medium. Let the potatoes cook till they are fork tender.
While they are cooking, melt the butter in a skillet on medium-low heat. When the butter has melted and is bubbly, add the minced garlic. Using a whisk, stir continuously until the butter starts to turn a medium golden color. Turn to low heat and keep whisking until it just starts to turn brown. It can go very quickly from golden to very dark brown to burnt, so be careful not to let it over brown. As soon as it has reached a medium brown color, remove it from the heat. Heat the milk either on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. I usually microwave mine for about a minute and a half. When the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, drain all the water out of your pot. Make sure to drain ALL of the liquid out. At this point, you can either dump the potatoes into a stand mixer or leave them in the pot and use a hand mixer. Add the milk and 1 tsp. salt to the potatoes in your pot or your stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the browned butter and garlic and continue beating until incorporated and very smooth. Dish up and enjoy the creamiest, most comforting browned butter potatoes!