Italian Style Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These are not ordinary mashed potatoes and in fact you don't want to eat them by yourself. You want to eat them with other garlic lovers. They do not have the same texture or flavor as the regular variety of mashed potatoes. These are mashed potatoes that have been taken up a notch or two. They compliment many dishes like in this case fried chicken but they go equally well with pork roast and mushroom gravy or roast beef.


Recipe
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2 pounds whole russet potatoes, unpeeled and cleaned. I have used 7-8 medium potatoes.
5 garlic cloves, larger cloves more garlic you can adjust this but 5 cloves is strong enough for me
2 tsp + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup + 6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon


place cleaned potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Cover and put on high heat. You want to get them to a boil and cook them until done about 45 Min.


While the potatoes are cooking take 1 clove of garlic and mince it. Then take 1/8 tsp kosher salt and take your chopping knife and mix it and mash it. Smearing it back and forth on the cutting block until you have the consistency of a paste. Place this in a bowl on the side.

Take the rest of the garlic and mince that as well. Then take 1/4 cup of the olive oil and place in a skillet. On med/low heat cook the 4 cloves of garlic for about 5 min. until they are sizzling/foaming and just getting toasty but not too brown.

Now place this in the bowl with the garlic paste and mix well.

Add the lemon, pepper, 6 tbs of olive oil and mix it good with your whip. Get it to a smooth consistency.

By now the potatoes should be done or almost done. Stick them with a fork and if the for goes in easily they are done. Drain them and place them on a cutting board to cool. Peel them with a paring knife.

The skin will peel right off and more starch than would normally have been the case with boiling peeled potatoes will have stayed in the potato itself. Yes, there is a difference.

Place the peeled potatoes in a clean pot or bowl and mash them. You can use a ricer if you like to do this.

Once they are mashed up good pour in the garlic and oil mixture.

Now use your whip to mix and fluff them up.

There they are ready to enjoy with your favorite dish.

John Besh's Grandmother's Fried Chicken

This is more of a review since I followed the directions exactly and did not deviate one bit. I made this along with garlic mash potatoes that I have been making for quite a while. The chicken turned out moist and delicious. It was cooked perfectly and was not overwhelmed by any spice. It was not hot or extra spicy as many recipes are these days. It was a lot like the fried chicken I grew up with and a fitting recipe for John's new book My Family Table. I made this for Valentine's Day supper. Thanks John!

This is how I made it.

Recipe: My grandmother's fried chicken

  John Besh

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 quart milk
• Canola oil

Preparation

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces generously. Mix the flour, onion and garlic powder together. Dip the chicken in the milk and then dredge through the flour mixture to coat well. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a skillet to 350 degrees F. Drop the chicken, in small batches, into the oil. Fry, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes and turn over, cooking for an additional 8 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain and salt immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 6

 =============================== Salt and pepper the chicken pieces generously

Mix the flour, onion and garlic powder together

Dip the chicken in the milk and then dredge through the flour mixture to coat well

Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a skillet to 350 degrees F

Drop the chicken, in small batches, into the oil

  

Fry, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes

turn over, cooking for an additional 8 minutes

 












Place on paper towels to drain and salt immediately

  

 

Garlic Lovers Mashed Potatoes

Sothern Italian Valentine Spicy Aglio e Olio Pasta

This is a dish that will warm your very heart and soul. It is the perfect primo piato for Valentines day. The flavors are delightful and dance on your tongue. The level of heat can be easily adjusted and so can the depth of color. That part I leave up to you. Your assignment is to make this dish yours by finding your level of spiciness.

Recipe

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1lb pasta dry or fresh

1-2 cups pasta water

2 tbs Kosher salt

2 tbs chopped Italian parsley

6 garlic cloves peeled and chopped

6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbs paprika your choice more for a redder color

1/4 -3 tsp crushed red pepper depending on the level of heat you are after

Start by filling a pot with 3 quarts water, the salt and bring to a boil. While the water is getting hot get your ingredients together. We want to time it so the pasta will finish cooking in the saute pan.

Get the olive oil hot in the saute pan and add the garlic but watch the heat. You don't want to over cook or burn the garlic and things start to move real fast once the oil is hot.

 

After a minute or so add the paprika, crushed red pepper and stir. Get them cooked but not overly cooked.

After another few minutes add the parsley. In between this the water should have started to boil. The pasta should be put in the water and stirred. After 5minutes for dry pasta 2 minutes for fresh pasta it will be ready to add to the saute pan to be finished off. Make sure you save 1-2 cups pasta water. this adds creaminess and flavor to your dish.

Stir in the pasta and get the spices in there.

Adding the pasta water while you finish cooking it in the saute pan makes the flavors come out.

You can turn the fire off once all the ingredients are mixed. The pasta will continue to cook and finish. It will also absorb the sauce and will become one with the sauce. You do not want the pasta overcooked so it is important not to cook for more than half the regular cooking time for al dente pasta in the water. After a few minutes that the fire has been turned off give it another good stir to mix the sauce well. Try to serve right away and avoid covering it because it will continue to cook and you want this pasta dish to be al dente.

Happy Valentine's Day and Bon Appetite!

New Years Linguine with Clams

I started making this dish many years ago. I remember having it as a kid over someones house and I was impressed with all the flavors it has. It is not the same without the actual clam shells. I have also started more recently to finish off the cooking of the pasta in the sauce. Depending in which part of Italy you grew up in and for that matter which household the pasta is finished off differently. While I was growing up I never saw my family doing this. Instead they would cook the pasta in water and then drain it and stir in some butter and then stir in the sauce. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that and it is probably more traditional but I have come to enjoy having the pasta finish in the sauce.

Recipe:

• About 3 lbs of clams, small ones if possible all closed
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine or dry champagne
• 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 lb linguine fresh or dry dry will cook much faster maybe 3Min dry will take about 7min
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 small can chopped clams with juice
• Parmesan or pecorino cheese grated for the topping

 Take the clams and soak them in warm salted water for about 20 min.

Drain the clams and then rinse them well and scrub them under running water with a brush or your hands. You want to inspect them and make sure none are dead and or have a strong smell. Also take them in one of your hands and with thumb and forefinger and push sideways trying to separate them. You want to make sure that none of them are closed and have died or are closed and full of sand.

In a pot put 4 quarts of water and a goodly amount of salt, cover it and get it boiling. 

While the water is heating up finely chop the parsley and garlic and set aside.

In a large saute pan put the olive oil in and get it hot enough to just start smoking on medium heat.

Saute the garlic and 1/2 the parsley just until they start to get a hint of brown about 3-5 minutes.

Add the white wine or dry champagne, the canned clams with juice and the washed clams, stir and cover.

Leave the heat at med and peek in on the clams in 5minutes.

They should start to open in about 10 minutes.

In the mean time the water for the pasta should be up to a roaring boil by now, if so put in the pasta and stir.

I usually snap my long pasta in half before I put it in.

It's a little more manageable.

Continue  to stir every few minutes so the pasta does not stick together.

Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes and start taking it out of the pot with the water into the saute skillet with the clams. Don't worry too much about draining it, a little of the pasta water is good for the sauce. 

The clams should be open by now and 10 minutes should have gone by.

Stir in the pasta with the clams and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Don't worry if you think it's a little watery, soon the pasta will absorb the liquid and the sauce will become almost one with the pasta. You also do not want to over cook anything in this dish, so that's why I say a few minutes. The pasta will want to continue cooking so a total cooking time of 5-7 minutes between the 2 pots is plenty and the pasta will remain al'dente when served.

Now add the fresh ground pepper and the remaining parsley and stir.

Turn off the heat and leave uncovered for a minute.

Give it a final stir and serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Fruit Cobbler

This is a simple but delightful dessert that can be whipped up in an hour from start to finish and served hot with Ice cream. It is easy to make and just out of this world. You can use your imagination and change the ingredients to make it your own. I have made several different varieties and am still trying new fruit and nut combinations just to keep things interesting. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar and each will give it's own flavor. Try using nuts or granola for a different crunchy texture.

Recipe:

1/2 a cube of butter melted and a bit more to grease the pan with

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of sugar

1 cup flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

2 cups fruit

Ice cream or whipped cream topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 2 quart baking dish

 Here I use brown sugar 

In a medium bowl whisk 3/4 cup sugar, flour and baking powder until blended.

Whisk in milk and melted butter.

 

Prepare fruit of your choice and nuts if you like. Pat the fruit dry.

Pour the batter into the baking dish. 

Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the batter.

I used strawberries and brown sugar for this recipe. 

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top of fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes

 I'm using sifted powdered sugar for this cobbler

Sprinkle 1 table spoon of sugar over the top and bake another 10 minutes.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream or both.