Roasted Garlic and Onion Mash

I have really come to respect the work of the food stylist because only they would be able to truly make a bowl of mashed potatoes look good. Even when the potatoes are creamy rich with roasted garlic and onions a photograph will never have that satisfying resistance to your fork that says you’re about to enjoy some seriously delicious comfort food. Because the best things in life don’t photograph that well. You can’t smell an image and that’s where this dish shines.

For my money roasted garlic is one of a few things that makes everything it touches better. This green sauce is one but roasting garlic is even easier. What you get out for what you put in stacks the deck in your favor every time. The roasted garlic and onions for these particular potatoes came from the bottom of the pan where the pork roast was made so, really, I did next to nothing. Which makes alongside a roast piece of meat, probably on a Sunday afternoon the easiest and most logical place for these potatoes to show up.

We always put onions and a head of garlic in with our Sunday roast so we’ll have roasted garlic to use for any of the following: garlic bread, these potatoes, onto the broccoli, put it in the gravy…you get it. It’s versatile. The roasted onions are also good in every one of those situations giving a similar sweetness without the punch. If you don’t normally put them in with whatever you’re roasting, you can also wrap up a head of garlic oil with a little bit of olive oil in some aluminum foil and put it in the oven for the last half hour of cooking.

Maybe these potatoes don’t need a stylist after all. They just need a little consideration and a place at the table. They’ll take it from there.

Making

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4 at least

30 minutes once the garlic and onion are roasted

Ingredients

1 1/2 potatoes per person. Perhaps controversially I like red potatoes for mash but any kind will work.

Head of roasted garlic

One roasted onion

Large knob of butter

1/2 cup whole milk

Salt and pepper

Instructions

The idea is that you have the roasted garlic and onions from the other part of your Sunday roast. If you aren’t doing that, start by roasting a head of garlic and some onions in a 175C oven for about 30 minutes. Then proceed.

Mashed potatoes are a very personal thing. Do you like the skins on? Skins off? Super creamy? Ultra smooth? If you’re more on the silky smooth refined side you need to peel your POTATOES. If you’re up for a more rustic mash, leave them on and just give them a good wash. Once they are as you like them, cut them up into similar sized pieces.

You can either boil them from here or do them in the microwave. If you are boiling them, put a pot of salted water on the hob and drop them in when the water is boiling. It will take about 20 minutes, depending on how big your pieces are. If you’re using the microwave, put them in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water in the bottom. Cover with a plate or cling film with holes and start with 10 minutes at 600W. Check to see if you can stick a fork into them easily. Keep going until you can.

When your potatoes are cooked, you need to do the mashing. If you have a potato masher or a ricer, that can be helpful. My mom always uses her hand mixer and a deep bowl. Get your large knob of BUTTER and the WHOLE MILK in there and mash until they are smooth (or not) to your liking.

Squeeze your ROASTED GARLIC onto a cutting board and cut/mash it up with the ROASTED ONION. Put that in with the potatoes and stir through.

You haven’t added any SALT or PEPPER yet so give it a taste and season at will. Potatoes have a magical ability to suck up salt so be generous with it. Enjoy. I’m jealous you’re going to have these on Sunday.

Ugh. My jealousy has gotten the better of me. If you really want to give yourself a treat and you have some creme fraiche or sour cream around add that in, too. So good.