Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The nursery project has begun. The second bedroom — currently a storage room full of boxes, old firefighting gear, and the exercise bike Jessica bought in 2015 that has been used exactly twice and now serves as an expensive clothes hanger — needs to become a room for Diego. Jessica has opinions about this. Many opinions. Specific opinions. She has a Pinterest board with 147 pins, which I interpret as 147 ways for me to do something wrong.

I spent Saturday clearing the room. The boxes went to the garage. The exercise bike went to Goodwill (a moment of silence for Jessica's fitness aspirations, 2015-2017, gone but not forgotten). The old firefighting gear went to the closet in the hallway. By noon, the room was empty — bare walls, carpet that needed shampooing, a window that looked out onto the backyard where the ramada stood like a promise.

Jessica wants the walls "sage green." I wanted the walls "whatever color is fastest." We compromised on sage green. I painted the room Sunday while Sofia "helped" by holding a paintbrush and painting the baseboard, the carpet, herself, and — in one remarkable moment of accuracy — a small section of wall. Her technique needs work. Her enthusiasm is unimpeachable.

On shift this week we had a slow stretch that I used to cook something ambitious: beef Wellington. I know — beef Wellington at a firehouse. But hear me out. I found a beautiful piece of beef tenderloin at the grocery store, and I'd been wanting to try it, and when you have six hours with no calls and a kitchen, you experiment. Seared the tenderloin, wrapped it in mushroom duxelles and prosciutto, rolled it in puff pastry (store-bought, I'm not insane), and baked it at 425 for twenty-five minutes. The result was magnificent — golden pastry, perfectly medium-rare beef, the mushroom layer tying it all together.

The crew lost their minds. Ruiz literally took a photo and sent it to his mother. Orozco looked at his plate and then looked at me and said "Rivera, why are you a firefighter?" and I said "because this kitchen doesn't have a liquor license" and everyone laughed and we ate beef Wellington at a fire station in central Phoenix on a Tuesday night and it felt like the kind of thing that should happen more often in the world: unexpected beauty in ordinary places.

Here’s the thing about making beef Wellington at a fire station—you can nail the tenderloin, get the pastry golden, have Ruiz sending photos to his mother, but if you don’t have a proper side, you’ve left the job half done. These garlic mashed potatoes are what I served alongside that Wellington on Tuesday night, and honestly, they almost stole the show. Creamy, loaded with garlic, simple enough to make while your Wellington rests—because even ambitious cooking needs a reliable teammate on the plate.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

Boil the potatoes and garlic. Place the potato chunks and garlic cloves in a large pot and cover with cold water by about one inch. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Drain and dry. Drain the potatoes and garlic thoroughly in a colander. Return them to the hot pot and let them sit for 1 to 2 minutes so the residual heat evaporates excess moisture.
Mash. Using a potato masher or ricer, mash the potatoes and garlic until smooth. A ricer gives you the creamiest result, but a masher works well if you like a little texture.
Add the butter and dairy. Stir in the softened butter until fully melted and incorporated. Add the warm milk and sour cream, and stir until the potatoes are creamy and smooth. Do not overmix or they can become gluey.
Season and serve. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped chives if desired. Serve immediately alongside beef Wellington or your favorite main course.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes — The Side Dish Worthy of a Firehouse Beef Wellington