Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• smoked paprika, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes if you like. Leaving the skins on is OK too!
2. Chop potatoes to evenly sized chunks, about 2".
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
4. Add in potatoes and whole cloves of garlic and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes easily split apart when poked with a fork.
5. Drain potatoes, then return to pot and set over low heat.
6. Mash potatoes with a potato masher on the heat for 1 to 2 minutes (doing so will allow the excess moisture to evaporate).
7. Remove from heat and continue mashing until mostly smooth.
8. Add olive oil and mash to incorporate, then add milk, salt and pepper and mash until smooth and creamy. Optionally, add 2-4 additional tablespoons of milk to achieve desired consistency.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika, if desired. Serve warm.