Mashed Potatoes with Crispety Cruncheties

Tags: thanksgiving - side - vegetarian - GF - GF vegetarian - GF side -
GF thanksgiving
Active Time:
Passive Time: 1.5 hours
Serves: 8-10

The best, richest mashed potatoes that have ever existed. The lemon zest seems like a strange addition but it is the most important ingredient

Bon Appetit

• German Butterball or Yukon Gold potatoes: 4 lbs, scrubbed
  
  
• Garlic: 1 head, divided
  
  
• Thyme: 8 sprigs, divided
• Black peppercorns: 2 tsp, lightly crushed
• Butter: 1.25 cups (2.5 sticks) + 4 tbsp, unsalted, divided
• Whole milk: 4 cups, or more
• Kosher salt: 1 tbsp + more to taste
• Lemons: 1
  
  
• Country style bread: 2 slices, 1/2 inch thick, torn into 1 inch pieces
• Kettle-style potato chips: 2 cups (ex. Cape Cod chips)
• Ground black pepper: to taste
  
  
• Hot smoked Spanish paprika: 1 tsp
  
  
• Parsley: 1/3 cup chopped

• You will think you messed up when you add the milk mixture to the potatoes and it turns into soup. Just keep cooking and stirring and somehow you end up with mashed potatoes
• I've never been able to find German Butterballs
• Potatoes (without topping) can be made 2 days in advance. Transfer to an airtight container and let cool. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium, whisking constantly and loosening with more milk as needed
• Topping, without parsley, can be made 2 days in advance. Store airtight at room temperature and mix in parsley just before serving
• Sub the bread for GF bread to make the dish GF; make sure your potato chips are GF - I've done this and it comes out great

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. If using German Butterballs, place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet and roast, turning halfway through, until very tender (a paring knife inserted into the center should meet no resistance), 45-50 minutes
3. If using Yukon Golds, placed on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Roast until very tender, 80-95 minutes
4. Remove 4 cloves garlic from the head and set aside for the topping. Cut remaining head of garlic in half crosswise and place in a medium saucepan with 5 sprigs thyme, peppercorns, 1.25 cups (2.5 sticks) butter, 4 cups whole milk, and 1 tbsp kosher salt
5. Using a vegetable peeler, remove wide strips of zest from half of lemon and add to pot; set lemon aside for the topping. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let sit at least 30 minutes
6. When potatoes are done, use a paring knife to remove the skins - it's important to do this while they're very hot. After skins are removed, pass them through a potato ricer or food mill fitted with a fine disk into a large pot (or simply mash them in the pot with a potato masher)
7. Return garlic mixture to a simmer, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot with the potatoes. Discard the solids. Set potato mixture over medium heat and whisk until liquid is incorporated and potatoes are very smooth and bubbling. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve
8. Pulse reserved 4 cloves garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 15 seconds or so. Add bread and potato chips and process in long pulses until coarse crumbs form, about 1 minute
9. Heat remaining 4 tbsp butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium until foaming. Add breadcrumb mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mixture is coated in butter and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer skillet to 400F oven and bake, tossing every 5 minutes, until crumbs and chips are evenly dark golden brown, 15-20 minutes
10. Meanwhile, finely grate remaining lemon zest from reserved lemon into a small bowl. Add leaves from 3 sprigs thyme and paprika and toss to combine
11. Remove crumb mixture from oven and immediately toss in the thyme mixture. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Let topping cool in the pan, then add the parsley
12. To serve, transfer mashed potatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle topping over (or let people serve themselves potatoes and top with the topping separately)