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Not a "pedestrian" potato recipe, Asian Mashed Potatoes with roasted garlic get their delicious flavor from roasted garlic, wasabi, and sesame oil. Garnished with fresh chives or scallions, and a generous sprinkling of furikake! A perfect side dish for your Asian main...
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It is easy to think of potatoes, and fortunately for men who have not much money it is easy to think of them with a certain safety. Potatoes are one of the last things to disappear, in times of war, which is probably why they should not be forgotten in times of peace.
~~ M.F.K. Fisher, How to Cook a Wolf
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks - Recipe Inspiration
Do you throw your potatoes into a dark corner of your pantry and forget about them? I am guilty of allowing an entire bag of red or yukon gold potatoes to turn mushy, forgotten until the stench of rot greets me when I open the pantry door. Yuck!
I tend to focus on complex carbohydrates like barley, brown rice, farro, and quinoa, but potatoes really ought to find their way back into our meals as the weather cools, and we turn to heartier options.
We consider Friday nights to be "date night" even though that typically means a quiet dinner home alone with a special bottle of wine and music. I typically spend more money and more time on my menu - quite often preparing a 3 course meal. Last Friday, I had a hankering for potatoes.
These would be no ordinary potatoes. I wanted to do bamboo steamed fish and miso glazed beets and carrots, and I wanted my potatoes to complement the other two dishes. The Japanese flavor profile includes ingredients like ginger, sesame, garlic, miso, soy sauce, wasabi, etc. I decided to try doing Asian-style mashed potatoes. It was a WIN!
Always one to find new ways to use ingredients, I decided to garnish my Asian-Style Mashed Potatoes with furikake (a pantry staple at Andersen casa). It. Just. Works. Ask the hubs! 😆 He is no fan of mashed potatoes. In fact, roasted potatoes are about the only way he'll eat them without complaint. He loves these!
📋 Ingredients for Asian Mashed Potatoes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite for mashing, but I more often use new potatoes because I always have them in my pantry. It is up to you whether you peel the potatoes or not.
- whole garlic bulb - Roasting a whole bulb of garlic is an important step in the overall flavor of this mashed potato recipe. You can get it roasted in about the same amount of time as it takes to cook your potatoes. Alternatively, you can purchase roasted garlic in the specialty foods section of some markets. NOTE: Make sure the roasted garlic doesn't include herbs and/or spices that will affect the flavor!
- plain nonfat yogurt - Yogurt is my preferred (healthier) way to add creaminess to mashed potatoes as it reduces fats and calories.
- broth/stock - A good broth (vegetable or chicken) adds flavor that water doesn't, but you can substitute water.
- wasabi paste - I keep wasabi paste in a tube in my refrigerator for this purpose.
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- furikake - One of my favorite Japanese condiments is furikake seasoning. I do make furikake, but I keep a commercially prepared jar of furikake in my well-stocked pantry as well. Its traditional use is as a seasoning for rice. I figured the salty, nutty, earthy, slightly fishy flavors might really work on potatoes.
- scallions
🔪 Instructions
- Roast the garlic - Preheat oven to 375° (or 350° convection roast). Turn the garlic bulb on its side, slice through the papery skins at the tip - not stem end - just enough to expose the cloves. Place in a small oven proof ramekin, and roast about 30 minutes (24 minutes convection roast) until soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool. When cool squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their papery skin, and set aside. Be careful to remove any skin from the cloves.
- Cook the potatoes - While garlic roasts, place quartered potatoes in a large saucepan. If using new potatoes, you can cook them whole. Completely cover with water. Add salt. Cook on high heat until fork tender. Remove the potatoes from the heat, but leave them in the hot water until ready to mash and serve.
- Prepare the add-ins - While potatoes cook, chop the scallions. If making the furikake, do that now as well.
- Drain the potatoes just prior to serving them to keep them hot.
- Finish the mashed potatoes - Add yogurt, broth (a little at a time), roasted garlic, wasabi, soy, and sesame oil to achieve a firm but creamy texture.
- I suggest adding the wasabi and soy in stages to taste. Wasabi does provide spicy heat, and the amount is according to your taste. Soy sauce is salty, and adding about half to start is appropriate. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes. Leave some lumps and the skins intact.
- Serve - Garnish the mashed potatoes with furikake, sesame seeds, chives or scallions as desired. Enjoy!
💭 Tips
Peel and cube your raw potatoes 2-3 hours ahead of time, then place the cut pieces in a bowl submerge in generously salted ice water. The water will keep them from oxidizing (turning brown), and the salt will actually tenderize and infuse the potatoes with seasoning from the inside out. You can refrigerate them up to 24 hours in advance. 30 minutes or so before the meal is ready to serve, boil and mash your potatoes so they are hot and ready to serve when the other dishes are ready.
Season the potatoes according to your taste buds. I typically add half of the soy sauce, and wasabi initially, then add to taste.
A potato masher allows you to get the chunky texture without over-processing. Unless you're looking for creamy mashed potatoes, don't use a mixer.
If you don't want to buy or make furikake, sesame seeds are a good substitution. They don't have the complex umami flavor, but they do add texture and color!
It won't hurt to keep the potatoes in an oven-proof dish until right before serving. A warm oven should do the trick. Save garnishing until serving or plating. If you plan to keep them in the oven more than 10 minutes or so, cover loosely with foil or place a lid on the pot.
❓ FAQ
You want starchy potatoes for mashed potatoes, rather than less starchy potatoes that hold their shape (for dishes like potato salad). Russets are arguably the starchiest potatoes, but I prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes which are only slightly less starchy. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I almost always have baby or new potatoes, and often use them for mashing to save time peeling and chopping.
If I'm using Yukon gold potatoes - my favorite for mashing - I peel them first as their skins are pretty thick. I cut them in 4 to 6 chunks depending on size. However, I frequently use baby potatoes. I don't peel or chop them. Their skins are tender, and they're small, so I cook them whole!
You can, but the extra step yields a milder, caramelized flavor that isn't matched by raw. Add raw minced garlic into the mash mixture if you choose to go that route. Note: Some markets now sell roasted garlic in jars that are quite good.
I love to use the leftover mashed potatoes in potato cakes. I form patties, dip in an egg wash and seasoned panko, and pan-fry in a bit of oil seasoned with sesame oil.
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📖 Recipe
Asian-Style Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 1 whole bulb garlic
- 2 ½ lb. potatoes - peeled and cut in chunks if large
- water - to cover
- 2 tsp. salt
- ⅓ cup plain nonfat yogurt - I like Greek, but either is fine
- ⅔ cup broth
- wasabi paste
- 3 tsp. soy sauce
- 3 tsp. sesame oil
Garnishes:
- sesame oil
- scallions or chives
- furikake
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 convection roast). Roast the garlic until you see some caramelization and the cloves are tender when pierced about 30 minutes (24 minutes convection roast). When cool squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their papery skin, and set aside. Be careful to remove any skin from the cloves.
- While garlic roasts, place potatoes in a large saucepan. Completely cover with water. Add salt. Cook on high heat until fork tender. (Time varies.)
- While potatoes cook, gather and prep remaining ingredients and garnishes
- Drain the potatoes just prior to serving them to keep them hot. Return to the pan. Add yogurt, broth ( a little at a time), roasted garlic, wasabi, soy, and sesame oil to achieve a firm but creamy texture. I suggest adding the wasabi and soy in stages to taste. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes.
- Scoop into a serving vessel or prepared plates, and garnish with chopped scallions, furikake, and a couple drops of sesame oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
📖 Recipe
🥔 What to Pair with Asian-Style Mashed Potatoes
mjskit says
Friday night is our date night as well. Even after all of these years, we still have fun with it. What a creative smashed potato dish! I have a basket of potatoes in the pantry that are getting close to that soft stage, and this is a very flavorful use for them.
Tamara says
We've made a habit of it for 34 years!