Asian Mashed Potatoes

👩🏻‍🍳 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

• potatoes – 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. However, I almost always have baby or new potatoes, and often use them for mashing to save time peeling and chopping.
• 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.

💭 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.

Given my emphasis on Latin-inspired recipes, these Asian-style mashed potatoes may seem out of place? As much as we love all things Latin (especially Mexican and Peruvian), we love food inspired by all cuisines and cultures. This mashed potato recipe has been a favorite at Andersen casa for years. I hope you’ll give it a try!