Garlic Mashed Potatoes

OK, with Halloween over ::sniff::, we move into the largest cooking season of the year:  Thanksgiving.   And it's never too early to start preparing for the big day. 

So during the month of November, I'm going to post the recipes I've used for making the big turkey dinner. 

We'll start with the classic mashed potatoes.  I remember my Grandma Johnson cooking a giant batch of potatoes, straining out the water and then pounding them into oblivion with an old school potato masher.  She'd add a ton of butter and cream to get the necessesary smoothness.  Once again, I said that they were good, I never mentioned anything about low fat.

Anyway, the potatoes were so good, you could have eaten them without any additional garnishment; gravy or extra butter not needed.  So I've concocted this recipe in her honor.  I wish I had her original proportions, but we never wrote them down.  I've also added the garlic in as well, because I'm a garlic lover.  If it's not your thing, just leave it out.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 10-16, can be halved for non Thanksgiving day uses.

5 pounds russet potates
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Scrub all the dirt off the potatoes and peel them if you wish (I'd suggest not to peel them, I like the flavor they bring).  Bring a stockpot of 4-6 quarts of water to a boil.  Chop up the potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes and add them to the boiling water.  The size isn't as important as much as consistantly making the larger pieces the same size  Smash three cloves of garlic, by laying them on the counter, placing the flat side of a large knife's blade over them and then slamming your hand onto it.  Add the smashed cloves to the potatoes and water.  Cook them for 20-30 minutes, or until the average cube splits apart when pressed by a fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the 2 cloves of minced garlic and the whipping cream in a saucepan, and cook it on low (2 out of ten).  This will infuse the cream with the garlic. Do not let it boil.

When the potatoes are done, strain the potatoes thoroughly, getting all the water out you can.  Pour them into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, mash up the potatoes.  Add the butter and mix for another 30 seconds.  Next pour in half of the whipping cream and mix for 15-20 seconds.  If the consistancy is not smooth enough, keep adding the cream until it is to your liking.  Finally, add the salt and pepper and mix for 20 more seconds.  Remove from the mixer and serve.

So make some of this with ANY meal you want, but make sure it's one of the side dishes in the fancy bowls on the Thanksgiving table.