Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic
• Water
• Pepper
• Cracked pepper
• Vegetable broth
• Warm water
• Dried rosemary
• Ice

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1-inch pieces. Tip them into a colander and wash them thoroughly under cool water so the extra starch rinses away.
2. Move the washed potatoes to a large pot and add enough water so they sit under 1 inch of water. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt, put on the lid, set the pot over high heat, and bring everything to a boil.
3. When the water is boiling, take off the lid and lower the burner to medium. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they are tender enough to fall apart when you poke them with a fork.
4. As the potatoes cook, make the garlic oil. Finely mince the garlic, then combine it with the olive oil in a small sauce pot or skillet. Warm them together over medium-low heat until the garlic gently bubbles for 1-2 minutes and softens a bit without browning. You’re only mellowing the sharp raw garlic flavor, not toasting it. Take the pan off the heat and leave it nearby.
5. Pour the cooked potatoes into a colander, then give them a quick rinse with warm water. Put the drained potatoes back in the pot with the burner off. Add the garlic oil, dried rosemary, a few grinds of pepper, about 10 cranks of a pepper mill, and about 1/2 cup of warmed vegetable broth.
6. Mash the potatoes, or beat them with a mixer, until they’re airy and smooth, pouring in additional vegetable broth as needed so they stay tender and moist. The total broth used should be about 3/4 cup. Taste, then adjust with salt and pepper; enough salt is what makes the flavors wake up. Serve warm.