Puree Garlic Potatoes

These Puree Garlic Potatoes are the best “mashed potatoes” ever. I SAID IT. I know that they’re not technically mashed… they are beautifully pureed with all things good and delicious like butter, garlic confit, and heavy cream. Need I say more?

side note: this is another recipe that I made for Friendsgiving this year and had to snap shots of while running out the door so no amazing pics. Sorry…

second side note: this Puree Garlic Potatoes recipe makes a lot more potatoes than what’s represented in the bowl below – I placed only some of them into this little bowl for photos.

This puree of garlic potatoes recipe is only slightly adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home cookbook so all the credit goes to that amazing guy. But I seriously have made these Puree Garlic Potatoes every year for Friendsgiving since I can remember so they needed a place on my blog. Puree of garlic potatoes is seriously the highlight of Friendsgiving to me. If I had to choose between only eating these potatoes OR eating everything else typically served at Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving, I would choose the puree of garlic potatoes every single time. THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM.

It’s a lot. My friends all love them too. One year I couldn’t make it to Friendsgiving because I was in the Cayman Islands for work and they requested that Tom make them lol. And he did it!! Everyone says they were great but mine are still better – sorry Tom 🙂.

So what’s so special about this puree of garlic potatoes?

Answer… GARLIC CONFIT. OH and an immersion blender.

According to the internet, confit is anything that has been slowly cooked into a rich, tender, juicy, and tasty texture. Therefore, garlic confit is garlic cloves that have been slowly cooked or poached in oil which changes them into even more delicious, sweet, and tender gems! We run these garlic confit cloves through a potato ricer with our cooked and peeled Yukon gold potatoes and butter to create the most buttery garlicky puree of potatoes ever.

Then we add some warmed heavy cream to those garlicky buttery potatoes and puree the crap out of them to make them the seriously most amazingly creamy puree of garlic potatoes EVER.

So buttery and creamy and garlicky and DELICIOUS. Just heavenly. They melt in your mouth and are the perfect side to dip your turkey or stuffing in… if you’re into that sort of thing… Gah potatoes are the BEST.

You know what else is the best? The Ad Hoc at Home cookbook – I’ve made so many recipes from this book and they are all amazing. Highly recommend it as a Christmas gift for the cook in your life.

Ingredients

Puree of Garlic Potatoes

• 4 lbs unpeeled yukon gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup or more garlic confit (ingredients and recipe below – I usually buy pre-peeled cloves to save time…)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced chives, garnish

Garlic Confit

• 1 cup peeled garlic cloves, root end sliced off
• about 2 cups canola oil

How to Make Puree Garlic Potatoes?

Step 1: Making Garlic Confit

1. Place garlic cloves in a small saucepan and add enough canola oil to cover them by about 1 inch (none of the cloves should be poking through the oil).
2. Heat the saucepan on a diffuser over medium-low heat. If you don’t have a diffuser, I’ve found that a cast iron skillet works great as a substitute. Gently cook the garlic for about 40 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until the garlic cloves are tender and easily pierce-able with a butter knife (while cooking, very small bubbles will come up through the oil, but the bubbles should not break the surface – adjust the heat as needed). Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the garlic to cool in the oil. Refrigerate the garlic in a container with a lid, submerged in the oil, for up to 1 week.

Step 2: Making Puree Garlic Potatoes

1. Place the unpeeled potatoes and kosher salt in a large pot then cover by at least 2 inches of cold water. Bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to keep a gentle simmer and cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until easily pierce-able with a butter knife. Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them cool for about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle then peel them! I find using a butter knife to slough off the skin helps.
2. While the potatoes are cooling, warm the heavy cream in a saucepan.
3. Run potatoes, butter pieces, and garlic confit cloves through a potato ricer into a large pot (I really love garlic so sometimes I use 1/2 cup of the confit cloves… you do you though). Once all the potatoes, butter, and garlic confit are “riced”, warm the pot of potatoes over medium-low heat (I’ve also used a slow cooker on the keep warm setting for this and it works great too). Slowly stir in the warmed heavy cream then puree using an immersion blender. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the chives, and top with a spoonful of butter then enjoy!

Kitchen Equipment Needed

• Large pot
• Saucepan
• Potato ricer
• Immersion blender
• Colander
• Butter knife
• Mixing spoon

What to Enjoy with Puree Garlic Potatoes?

I love to serve my Puree Garlic Potatoes as a side with dishes like pulled pork, or roast chicken, It’s also great to have it with a salmon dinner, where the garlicky potatoes make the fish meals more delicious. Also, some sautéed mushrooms are nice to have beside these potatoes for a cozy dinner with the family. On the drink side, a glass of chilled apple cider will for sure add some sweetness to the meal.

FAQ

What is this Puree Garlic Potatoes recipe made of?

I made from Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic confit, butter, and heavy cream, blended into a creamy puree.

What do Puree Garlic Potatoes taste like?

It has a smooth, buttery taste with garlic flavor.

Can I use another type of potato?

Yes, Russet potatoes work too.

What is garlic confit?

It’s slow-cooked garlic in oil, which gives it a soft, sweet flavor.

Can I make this without a potato ricer?

Yes, A food mill is a good alternative.

How much garlic confit should I use?

Start with 1/4 cup and add more if you like.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

Yes, but the potatoes won’t be creamy.

How can I make this lighter?

Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.