Garlic and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
5 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus ¹⁄₈ additional teaspoon
¹⁄₂ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 additional tablespoons
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add potatoes and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and return to pot.  Smash with potato masher or fork. 

2. While potatoes are simmering, mince 1 garlic clove. Place minced garlic on cutting board and sprinkle with ¹⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt. Using flat side of chef’s knife, drag garlic and salt back and forth across cutting board in small circular motions until garlic is ground into smooth paste. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.

3. Mince remaining 4 cloves garlic. Place in small saucepan with ¹⁄₄ cup olive oil and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic foams and is soft, fragrant, and golden, 5 minutes. Transfer oil and garlic to bowl with raw garlic paste.

4. Add remaining salt, pepper, lemon juice, and remaining 6 tablespoons uncooked olive oil to bowl with garlic and cooked oil and stir to combine. Fold mixture into potatoes and serve.

Comments
This recipe is originally from America’s Test Kitchen but, even though I have it in a cookbook, I copied it from Loves to Eat so I didn’t have to type out the recipe myself.  I did modify it slightly and it was delicious.  Quite a nice change from the usual cream and butter laden mashed potatoes – not that there’s anything wrong with those!  In the future I might experiment and use either some exciting olive oil instead of just the regular sort. 

Shown here with Eye Round Roast, Horseradish Cream Sauce, and Parmesan Zucchini.

Cook’s Illustrated 2006