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.