Mashed Potatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Even in Italy, the classic recipe for mashed potatoes calls for boiled potatoes, salt, butter and milk. In America, you’ll often see variations with sour cream while in Italy, you’ll find variations of puré di patate, as they’re called in Italian, with a few dashes of nutmeg.
This recipe is inspired by Mediterranean and American flavors. The result is a light version that doesn’t skimp on flavor. There is extra virgin olive oil to replace the butter, Greek yogurt to substitute the sour cream and a buttermilk substitute made with soy milk and lemon juice to add a decisive tang. Even the chives have a particular affinity with potatoes, adding a slightly garlicky and delicate onion-like aroma to the dish, as well as a nice texture.
Perfect for the upcoming holiday dinners, this is one mashed potato recipe you’ll want on your dining room table.
Serves: 4-6
Bring water to boil in a medium pot. Add the salt then the potatoes and cook until you can pierce them with a fork, about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, put the lemon juice and milk in a bowl; set aside. When the potatoes are done, drain them and add them back to the pot.
Cook them over low heat for 3-4 minutes while stirring often until they are partially dried out. Now put the potatoes into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment* (see note below) and mix on speed 3 or 4 until the potatoes are broken up into small pieces; about 1-2 minutes.
Change the paddle attachment to the beater attachment and add the extra virgin olive oil. Mix for 10 seconds. Add the Greek yogurt, milk and lemon mixture, chives, salt and black pepper. Mix for another 10-20 seconds. Adjust the flavor with salt and give the mixture one last stir. Serve the mashed potatoes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few more chopped chives. Buon appetito!
