Mashed Roasted Potatoes
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YouTube: Cast Iron Mashed Roasted Potatoes
Good old mashed potatoes are delicious, especially with the skins on. Some folks call these smashed potatoes or dirty mashed potatoes, but I prefer these to "creamy" mashed potatoes with peeled potatoes. But when I tried roasting russet potatoes instead of boiling them, it really kicked these mashed potatoes up a notch. Holy hot potatoes, Batman!
Pans needed: A large cast iron dutch oven, 4 quarts in size or larger, with a lid. A basting brush to brush oil onto the potatoes and garlic cloves. And a potato masher!
Ingredients
- 5 large russet potatoes, sliced in half or thirds
- 10 to 15 peeled garlic cloves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cream (or whole milk
- 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chives
- 3 tablespoons butter
Place a cast iron dutch oven, with lid, into the oven. Don't add any oil or liquid to the pot; place the dry pot into the oven. Preheat the oven, and the pot, to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the pot is heating up, wash and scrub five large Russet potatoes. (I never peel my potatoes, I love them with the skins on.) Cut each potato into only two or three pieces. Peel 10 to 15 cloves of garlic. (You can also buy peeled garlic cloves at the store.)
When the oven reaches 375 degrees, remove the pot from the oven and place it on a trivet...so it won't scorch or burn your countertop! Remove the lid, and add 1 or 2 tablespooks of olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Use a basting brush to spread the oilive oil over the entire bottom surface of the pot. Before adding the potatoes, pour the garlic cloves into the pot. Use the basting brush to cover the garlic cloves with olive oil. Next, place the potato pieces into the pot. It's okay to place pieces of potato on top of the garlic cloves. Drizzle a little more olive oil directly onto the basting brush, and brush oil over the tops of the potatoes, including the exposed potato insides and the skins. Finally, sprinkle kosher salt all over the top surface of the potatoes and garlic. Cover the pot with the lid (remember, it's hot!), and place the entire pot into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes.
After 50 minutes, remove the pot from the oven and uncover the potatoes. The potatoes will be soft enough to easily pierce with a fork; while the garlic cloves will be soft enopugh to easily squish with a fork. Add 1 cup cream, 1 stick butter (4 ounces), plus ground black pepper, parsley, and basil. Get out the masher and mash away, mash away, mash away all. If you want the potatoes to be more creamy and less chunky, add more milk and keep mashing until it's at the consistency you want. Dig a well in the center, add butter, and serve.