Recipes

Julia Child’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes

How America’s favorite cooking teacher made America’s favorite side dish.

  • Serves

    Serves 6

ROMULO YANES

By Julia Child


Updated on January 25, 2023

Thirty cloves of garlic go into this creamy side dish, adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but fear not: they're blanched until soft and sweet before being stirred into the spuds (along with plenty of cream and parsley).

Featured in "The Glories of Garlic," by Karen Shimizu.

Ingredients

  • 30 unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 12 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. pieces
  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
  • 14 cup heavy cream
  • 14 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

Step 1

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, then add the garlic and boil for 2 minutes; drain and peel. Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium, and add 4 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic and cook until soft, 15–20 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the milk and cook until thick and bubbling, 3–4 minutes more. Using an immersion or regular blender, purée. To a large pot, add the potatoes and enough generously salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to maintain a strong simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutesl. Drain, then pass through a potato ricer back into the pot (alternatively, use a potato masher to finely mash). Turn the heat to medium-low and gently stir in the remaining butter, reserved sauce, the cream, parsley, salt, and white pepper and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

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