Mashed potatoes, holiday time's comfort food

The Perfect Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lbs. Idaho Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on
• 2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ c. milk
• ¼ c. chicken broth
• ¼-1/2 t. salt
• 1/3/-1/2 t. white pepper
• Add-ins: 1 head roasted garlic, 1 caramelized onion, 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or chives

1.   Wash potatoes thoroughly and cut into roughly 2" cubes. Try to make them all the same size.

2.   Place butter, milk and chicken broth on counter to bring to room temperature.

3.   Bring 2" water to a boil, with bay leaf, in bottom of large pot.

4.   Steam potatoes, covered, and checking regularly, until knife pierces skin easily, about 15-20 minutes. Do not overcook.

5.   As potatoes finish cooking, heat chicken broth and milk in a small saucepan over a low flame. Do not bring to a boil; you are just heating this up.

6.   Remove potatoes from pan and place in large mixing bowl.

7.   Using hand mixer on low-speed, begin to mash potatoes. Once they are broken up, begin to add in salt and pepper to taste.

8.   Add soft butter to potatoes and mix well; mixture should become lighter and fluffier.

9.   Pour in chicken broth and milk a little at a time, beating just until mixed, until desired consistency is reached.

10. Add in salt and pepper to taste.

11. Blend in any add-ins to taste; 1 head roasted garlic, or 1 caramelized onion

12. Serve hot.

Roast Garlic
For a heavenly, savory potato dish, you can’t go wrong with roast garlic.

• 1 head garlic
• Olive oil

1.   Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.   Remove excess papery skin from outside of garlic head.

3.   Slice off top of head, exposing cloves.

4.   Place head on sheet of aluminum foil.

5.   Drizzle olive oil over garlic head.

6.   Fold foil around garlic head, sealing it.

7.   Place in oven; roast for about one hour, until cloves are soft and lightly browned.

8.   Carefully remove cloves from skins.

Caramelized onions
It’s hard to beat the sweet, pan-drippings flavor of caramelized onions.

• 2 t. butter
• 2 t. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt

1.   Melt butter and olive oil together in small skillet over the lowest flame possible

2.   Add onion, stirring to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

3.   Cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally.

4.   Once onions are thoroughly softened, increase heat to medium and stir constantly until they are well-browned, about 20 minutes.

White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes
Created by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, co-authors of “The Ultimate Potato Book,” for the U.S. Potato Board

Over the top? Sure. But melted white chocolate takes the place of butter for a decadent but healthy version of mashed potatoes. Look for pure white chocolate, made from cocoa butter, not one cut with hydrogenated shortening and other fillers.

Makes 8 servings.

• 3 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled
• 1 ½ ounces white chocolate, chopped
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 6 dashes hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco sauce
• 1 ½ cups fat-free milk

Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cool water to a depth of 2 inches, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink and return the potatoes to the pan.

Add the white chocolate to the still-hot potatoes; stir until the white chocolate starts to melt. Stir in the salt and hot red pepper sauce.

Use an electric mixer at medium-low speed to mash the potatoes slightly. Pour in the milk and continue mixing until creamy, about 1 minute. Serve at once.

Per serving: 182 calories, 6 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 2 g total fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 262 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 34 mg vitamin C, 1023 mg potassium.

Tracie McMillan is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers food and social issues.