Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Caramelized Shallots
Crisp toppings—including caramelized shallots, sliced garlic and fried parsley leaves—lend wonderful flavor and texture to humble mashed potatoes, transforming them into a rave-worthy dish that’s fit for the holidays. Take your time when cooking the shallots so they’ll become nicely caramelized and irresistibly sweet.
Ingredients
- 5 lb. (2.5 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) crème fraîche
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the toppings:
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter
- 3 shallots, diced
- Kosher salt
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Leaves from 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Directions
Put the potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover by 3 inches (7.5 cm) and stir in 1 Tbs. salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.
Working in batches, pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, then return them to the pot and set over low heat. Add the cream, crème fraîche and butter, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover the surface of the potatoes with aluminum foil.
To make the toppings, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it starts to bubble. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to soften, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are caramelized and starting to crisp around the edges, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a plate.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the shallots.
In the same pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the parsley leaves and cook until just crisp and slightly darkened, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.
Rewarm the potatoes if needed and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the shallot-garlic mixture and sprinkle with the fried parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 10.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen