Garlic Herb Rustic Mashed Potatoes

Skins or no skins? That’s the only argument you’ll hear in this house when it comes to mashed potatoes. Otherwise all you’ll hear is, “yes please!”

We are lucky that we tend to love the same flavors in this house, which generally speaking just means FLAVOR! We like our food to pack a punch, and mashed potatoes are no exception. This time I let the hubs have his way and left the skins on for this “rustic” feel.

Garlic Herb Rustic Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb of dutch yellow baby potatoes
• 4 tsp of butter
• 1 package of Boursin garlic and herb cheese
• 1 cup of half and half [or get decadent with heavy cream…. dear God]
• Salt to taste

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Scrub and rinse potatoes

 If you’re going to leave the skins on make sure you scrub the potatoes well with something mesh. I actually love my nylon potato glove [Thanks Rina!]. I don’t actually ever wear it but I use it to scrub the potatoes when I cook them with the skin on.

 

2. Add potatoes and room temp water to pot.

 Three key things to boiling a perfect potato: 1) Make sure you have a pot big enough to were the potatoes are not crammed on one another, 2) Only use room temperature water, 3) only use enough water to cover the potatoes, and not drown them.

You may have caught on to my vibe by now that inconsistently cooked food is frustrating. Well guess what? Adding raw potatoes to boiling water is inconsistent cooking 101. When you add potatoes to water that is already boiling, you get overcooked exterior and crispy raw interior. Not so yum.

 

3. Bring to a boil then add 1 tsp salt

Boil for 25 minutes or until “fork tender.” Basically you can literally “stick a fork in it” and it’ll glide right into the potato but still hold onto the fork. If the potato falls off the fork, you’ve overcooked.

Now ok, ok. The science behind boiling point elevation with salt and water in cooking is negligible, but I still add the salt after the water boils because I like to take care of my pots.

NB: Adding the salt at the start does nothing more than sit there since the water isn’t boiling yet anyway. Make sure you sprinkle gently and stir to avoid splash back of boiling water. More chemist, less wild wizard!

 

4. Drain potatoes and place into bowl. Add remaining ingredients. MASH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice the butter so it’ll melt faster and disperse more evenly.
Add the garlic herb cheese in halves, again, to ensure even distribution.
Then add a little salt to taste before mixing in the half and half [since it’s normally cold and I need the use the heat of the potatoes to my melting advantage].
Serve immediately.

 

 

Finishing Touches:

Roll up a basil leaf and slice it to create
cute, skinny ringlets and sprinkle on top!

ENJOY!