If you are looking for a side dish that is quick, simple to make and not interested in doing anything fancy, I highly recommend Ottolenghi’s aromatic olive oil mash from his book “Simple”! What else can be more a comforting side dish on a cold day than warm mashed potato? This recipe is perfect if you would like to jazz a simple dish up a little bit in case you have friends or family over, or simply because you are craving something different.
You can use different herbs depending on your likes, but I decided to strictly follow Ottolenghi’s recipe this time and I can tell you, it did not disappoint.
We paired it with roasted turkey breasts and fresh garden salad, it tasted phenomenal.
Ingredients (serves 2-3):
- 500 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
- 3 thyme springs
- 2 mint springs
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 lemon (finely shaved skin, 2-3 strips)
- 50 ml olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Topping
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp zest
Instructions:
- Put the potatoes, herbs, garlic, lemon skin and 1 tsp of salt into a pan. Cover it with boiling water and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft enough for mash.
- While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the topping. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, herbs, lemon juice and zest, and a little bit of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Drain the potatoes but do not forget to save some of the cooking water (around 100 ml). Remove the thyme and mint springs, but leave in the garlic and lemon skin. Add the olive oil and the 100 ml of cooking water, and use a masher to mash the potatoes.
- Transfer the mash to a serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to create dips in the surface. Drizzle the topping evenly over and finish with a good grind of black pepper.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Until next time,
Nora from My Honeycomb Kitchen
My Honeycomb Kitchen 