Nov 27, 2010

Thanksgiving Day Recipes - Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Since you all (okay...one of you) wanted the recipes for the mashers and cocktails I mentioned I was making for Thanksgiving. Here we go yo!

Wasabi Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • 9 lbs new golden potatoes
  • 4 large cloves garlic
  • Wasabi powder or paste (I'll discuss the amount down below)
  • 8 oz or so of softened butter
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups half and half 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
 - Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
 - Strip the outer papery layer off the garlic cloves, and then toss in a small bowl with some olive oil until they are fully coated.
 - Roast the garlic in the oven for 40 minutes until the outer layer is fully browned/starting to blacken.  Then set aside for a few moments to allow them to cool.  Once they do, squeeze the garlic paste out of the cloves.  Should be the consistency of...paste.  Ya know.  Set this paste aside for a bit.  We are going to add some wasabi to it now.
  - You should be able to find wasabi powder or wasabi paste in a tube at your local market.  If you buy the powder, mix it with a little water until a nice paste is formed.  Make it a little thin, because we are going to add the garlic paste to it.  Use as much or as little wasabi as you like.  I like the finished potatoes to have a bit of a green shade and a distinct garlic/wasabi aroma.  So experiment a little.  Just like you did in college, ladies.
 - Mix the wasabi paste and the garlic paste until they are fully integrated.  Set bowl in the fridge so the flavors can mature.

___________________________________________________
- Clean and quarter your potatoes.  I clean the skins with a vegetable brush thouroghly and leave the cleaned skins on the potatoes. But if you feel the need peel the skins, then go for it.
 - Cook the potatoes according to how you cook your potatoes.  I put them in a large pot and cover them with cold water with about another inch or so of water on top.  Bring it to a boil and then simmer on reduced heat for around 20-30 minutes.  I don't like them to get too soft.  So I'm constantly testing to make sure they come out how I like them.
 - Drain but reserve about 1/2 cup of the water to add to the masher while mashing.
___________________________________________________
 - I use a manual potato masher, but use whatever you have.  Add the softened butter and the water from the potatoes early on to make the process a little easier.
 - Add the garlic/wasabi paste and keep on mashing.
 - Then add your half and half (or milk or heavy cream) a little at a time and keep mashing.  Stop when you've reached the desired consistency.  I don't know how much milk I used.  I put 2 cups in the recipe, but it was probably less. I like mine thick and a little lumpy. Insert sex joke here.
 - Add salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste.

___________________________________________________
 - Yum, yum...eat 'em up!

Tomorrow: The Fall Cocktail!

___________________________________________________
Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. Don't blame me if it sucks.

8 comments:

sybil law said...

Yum! I am totally going to try it. I don't know why I can't make mashed potatoes in general, of all things, but it seems so easy!
If they suck, I'm blaming you. Ha!

Mrs. Hall said...

-Just like you did in college, ladies.-




that's funny stuff Earl! :)

Verdant Earl said...

Sybil - These mashers are hard to screw up, but feel free to lay the blame if you somehow do. :)


Holly - And it's all worth while because you noticed. ;)

Heff said...

Hey, those actually sound AWESOME.

Verdant Earl said...

Heff - They were!

white rabbit said...

Ummmmm... What is half and half?

Plus 8 oz softened butter??? :O

Sounds like coronary thrombosis territory here!

Verdant Earl said...

Wabbit - It's half milk, half full cream. Sold here in the States and mostly used in our coffee. They don't sell that over by you? And the 8oz of butter is going into 9lbs of potatoes...but I probably used a little less. I think I used a stick and a half (6oz).

Dr Zibbs said...

That sounds gooood.