Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully your kitchen smells warm and spicy and you have many hands at work preparing the day’s spread. This foodie holiday holds many memories for me—from family gathered around Grandma Tiny’s table to “orphans” meals with friends to today’s version with family and friends and the hope that snow will be in the air. It’s been 25 years since I’ve eaten the main attraction of the table, but it remains a celebration—probably because I easily fill a plate before the turkey passes by.
I rarely think of mashing potatoes outside the holiday season (unless I want to use up yogurt whey). Instead, I bake them, roast them, and braise them; I turn them into salad, soup, curry, and gnocchi. Perhaps it’s the cranberries—a dollop sits so beautifully in a pile of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. So when these tart berries are in season, the potato masher comes out to play.
Ready to give it a try? Full details are in the recipe below, but here are the basics:
You need just 3 main ingredients plus some kitchen staples.
1. Boil the potatoes.
2. Mash them with some vinegar.
3. Fold in some garlic butter and chives and enjoy.
Make it, share it. Tag your photos: @twiceastastyblog and #twiceastastyblog
Tangy Potato Mashers
1/4 cup Chive Blossom Vinegar or other vinegar
2 tablespoons pickled or fresh chive blossoms or minced chives
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves Roasted Garlic
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Clean the potatoes, cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks, and then rinse them briefly under cold water. In a large pot of cold water, bring them to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Separate the chive flowerheads into individual blooms or mince the fresh chives; set aside.
Drain the potatoes, rinse them briefly under cold water, and then return them to the pot. Cook them over medium-high heat, tossing gently, for about 1 minute, until any remaining moisture has evaporated. Remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour the vinegar over the boiled potatoes; mash until smooth and fluffy.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Squeeze in the garlic; cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until the butter bubbles. Gently fold the chives and hot garlic butter into the mashed potatoes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Tips & Tricks
- This recipe scales easily for any gathering. If you plan on 1/2 pound of potato per person, some easy division and/or multiplication lets you make the right number of servings for your group.
- Although I’ve long poured pickle brine into Braised Breakfast Potatoes, Harry Rosenblum gets the credit for inspiring me to stir it into mashed one. Chive-infused vinegar is a perfect fit, but you can use almost any vinegar that’s in your kitchen. Pickle brine also works, but keep in mind that you’ve probably diluted it by half; to get the same tang as vinegar, you may need to add twice as much.
- These potatoes are both tangy and chunky: they’re full of peels and garlic smears. If that’s not your style, peel the potatoes and puree the garlic into the butter until it’s smooth. For an even smoother mash, sub in sweet potatoes (see below).
- Let these smashed potatoes stand on their own as a side dish, or top them with cranberry sauce or smoother them in turkey and gravy. They work equally well with other toppings and mains. Try them with a spoonful of Apple–Red Onion Marmalade or Grilled Red Onion Relish. Serve them alongside Roasted Beets or under Spanish Shrimp in Garlic Oil.
Twice as Tasty
When it comes to mashed potatoes, everyone has a favorite texture, often eschewing all others. If you’re always complaining that mashers aren’t smooth enough, consider changing from white or yellow potatoes to sweet potatoes. When not turned into junk food, both have their health benefits: white potatoes balance their lower fat and sugar with more protein and fiber, whereas sweet potatoes have more vitamin A and C but lower carbs and calories. I tend to eat more potatoes because I can grow them in my climate. But I love the taste of sweet potatoes, particularly when paired with unexpected flavors, like mushrooms and balsamic vinegar or coconut milk and ginger.
When boiled, sweet potatoes just fall apart, making them easy to whip into a soft, smooth mash. If you prefer chunkier mashers, try steaming instead of boiling. Keep in mind that people—even supermarkets—call sweet potatoes “yams,” and vice versa. Neither are truly yams, the starchy root of a grassy plant, but they do have their differences. Garnet or ruby “yams” usually have reddish skin and moist, bright orange flesh; dry sweet potatoes have a paler skin and look like a dense potato inside. Moist sweet potatoes are even sweeter than dry ones, so swap them into this recipe if you want a brighter color and have a super-sweet tooth.
Ready to give it a try? Full details are in the recipe below, but here are the basics:
You need just 3 ingredients and maybe a little salt.
1. Boil and mash the sweet potatoes.
2. Fold in the coconut milk and ginger and enjoy.
Make it, share it. Tag your photos: @twiceastastyblog and #twiceastastyblog
Sweet Potato Mashers with Coconut Milk
6 tablespoons coconut milk
2 inches fresh gingerroot (about 4 teaspoons when grated or minced)
sea salt to taste
Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks, and then rinse and cook them as you would for Tangy Potato Mashers: Simmer in a large pot of water for 15–20 minutes, until soft; drain, rinse, and then reheat to remove extra moisture. While they’re cooking, peel the ginger using the side of a spoon or, if needed, a small knife, and then mince or grate the gingerroot.
Mash the sweet potatoes until they are mostly smooth. Fold or whip in the coconut milk, ginger, and salt. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Tips & Tricks
- As with the potato masher recipe, use a little math and the portions here can feed one or dozens. A half pound of sweet potato is a generous serving per person.
- Although there’s no sugar in this recipe, you’ll fool your guests into thinking you’ve sweetened the dish thanks to the naturally sweet flavor of its two main ingredients. For a gathering, make both recipes in this post and chances are you’ll please almost everyone.
- With the coconut milk and ginger, these mashers work well on a fusion table. Instead of cranberry sauce, try a dollop of Italian Plum–Apple Chutney. Instead of turkey and gravy, make a vegan meal with Marinated and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Asian Cabbage Salad.
Like what you’ve learned? To learn more in a Twice as Tasty workshop—in your own kitchen, among friends, and with my personal help—click here. If you’re not yet a Twice as Tasty subscriber, get newsletters delivered straight to your inbox by clicking here.
Twice as Tasty 