Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Prosciutto and Rosemary

These Truffled  Mashed Potatoes with Prosciutto and Rosemary are special potatoes.

They involve special ingredients that deviate from the traditional mashed potatoes with butter and milk. Now, don’t get me wrong I love those kind of potatoes as well! These potatoes involve those “once in awhile” ingredients that make you feel a little over the top…kind of like using lobster or beef tenderloin or saffron. Not your everyday dish kind of ingredients.

But these potatoes, loaded up with things like olive oil, rosemary, prosciutto and garlic along with a nice drizzle of Black Truffle Oil are perfect for an anniversary (mine was yesterday – 8 years!), Mother’s Day, or even Christmas!  They have a bit of an Italian flare and would be fabulous paired with a magnificent steak or Prime Rib.

You start them the same way you would any other mashed potatoes.  With potatoes of course.

Peel them and rinse them off, and cut them up into one inch pieces. Add a tablespoon or so of salt to a pot of water and add in your potato pieces. Did you know you can impart some salt flavor into your potatoes this way?

Make sure the tops of the potatoes are covered with at least an inch of water.

Put it on the stove and crank the heat up to high.  Once the water boils, turn it down to medium or just until it’s bubbling nicely and won’t boil over because, man, you don’t want to clean up that mess!

Let this simmer until sticking a fork into several of the pieces happens very easily without any resistance.

While your pot simmers away making your potatoes nice and tender, open up a package of this loveliness.

When my parents were in Germany years ago, their cousin, whom they stayed with served “something like raw bacon” every morning for breakfast”, said Mom.  I told them it was probably Prosciutto.

I’m not sure entirely that my Mom and “meats that appear to be raw” mesh very well together, and I’m not entirely sure she ever tasted it.  But Prosciutto is cured and absolutely fine to eat as is.

Prosciutto is a little like its cousin bacon or Pancetta, but instead of coming from the belly of the pig, it comes from its hind leg.  While bacon is smoked, prosciutto isn’t, and while bacon and pancetta need to be cooked, prosciutto is dry aged, rubbed with spices and salt and left to cure. You can eat it just like it comes, or you can lightly crisp it in recipes just like bacon, but without the smoky flavor. Feel free to substitute bacon in this recipe if you like!

Take out about 6 slices of Prosciutto and chop it into pretty small pieces.

So, go ahead and get a nonstick skillet and add a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add in your Prosciutto bits. and stir them until they get lightly crispy but not too dark.  When they’re crispy, add in 4 pressed or chopped cloves of garlic.

Also add in 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary.

Stir this an additional minute but not more and then remove from the stove.

Drain your potatoes and put them right back into the pot.  Add in one cup of milk and the contents of your Prosciutto mixture including any olive oil you might have left in the pan. It’s going to be flavored with garlic and rosemary and be delicious!

Grate up one cup of one of my favorite cheeses in this world – Pecorino Romano.

It’s salty and sharp and full of flavor and I adore it.

Next, add in a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 of cracked black pepper, cuz potatoes need mucho seasoning my friends.

And just because it’s a really special time  for mashed potatoes, add in some white or black truffle oil.

And then take your potato masher and mash everything up really well.

You can mash them up really smoothly by using a mixer if you like, but I prefer the character of some texture in mine.

You can also add a bit more milk if you like them a little more wet.  Each potato will be different, so adjust accordingly!

Just before you serve it, drizzle a tiny bit more truffle oil over the top.

Decadence…pure decadence.

How do you like your mashed potatoes? Traditional or fancied up? Leave me a comment below at the end of the post!

Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Prosciutto and Rosemary

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Katie of Dishin & Dishes

Recipe type: Side

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. potatoes, like Yukon Gold
• 6 thin slices Prosciutto
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. chopped fresh rosemary plus 1 t. (for garnish)
• 1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 c. milk
• 2 T. truffle oil
• 2 t. salt
• 1 t. cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks.
2. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water by 2 inches and add 1 tablespoon salt.
3. Bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes
4. Chop prosciutto into ¼ inch strips and then cut strips in thirds.
5. In non-stick skillet, add 2 T. olive oil and turn on medium high heat.
6. Add prosciutto and stir frequently tossing until crispy, toss in rosemary and chopped garlic and stir one minute more
7. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
8. Add in milk and salt and pepper.
9. Dump in all contents of skillet, including Prosciutto, garlic and rosemary and any leftover olive oil.
10. Add truffle oil
11. Add in cheese.
12. Using a potato masher, mixer or fork, mash potatoes until smooth.
13. Drizzle with more truffle oil before serving, if desired and a sprinkle of fresh chopped rosemary.

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Today I am participating in Food Network’s Let’s Get Seasonal: Side Dishes – the theme today is “Something Mashed”.  To see what other incredible food bloggers are making with these theme, check out the links below!

Weelicious: Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
Cooking With Elise: Savory Banana Corn Cakes
Virtually Homemade: Three-Onion Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mashed English Pea Spread on Garlic-Rubbed Bruschetta With Roasted Salmon
Red or Green? Smashed Potato Tacos With Guacamole & Tomato Salsa
Devour: Easy Mashed Plantains Recipe
Domesticate Me: Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Goat Cheese
The Sensitive Epicure: Italian Style Smashed Potatoes
The Heritage Cook: Whipped Ginger-Cardamom Sweet Potatoes
Dishin & Dishes: Truffled Mashed Potatoes With Prosciutto and Rosemary
FN Dish: Mashed Spring Sides