Place the peeled whole potatoes into a large saucepan or pot and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 22-24 minutes or until soft but not completely falling apart.
Once cooked, pour the potatoes through a colander and allow them to drain.
Place a small saucepan over low heat and pour in the milk. Allow the milk to slowly heat up, but don't let it come to a simmer.
While the potatoes are draining and the milk is slowly heating up, place a skillet over high heat, add the butter, and allow it to melt. Once melted, bring the butter to a boil and continuously stir just until it starts to foam.
Add the garlic and turn the heat down to medium. Continuously mix the garlic through the butter for 1½ to 2 minutes, just until both the butter and garlic are a deep golden brown colour, with the garlic nice and crispy. Remove from the stovetop and allow to sit for 5 minutes. You can also remove the milk from the stovetop at this stage.
Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or masher, just until extremely smooth. See recipe notes for further details. Check seasoning levels and adjust accordingly.
Pour the garlic butter (reserving some of the butter) into the potatoes through a sieve to catch the crispy garlic (we'll use it later in the recipe), and pour in the milk. Mix well until smooth.
To serve, place the mashed potatoes on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle over the reserved garlic butter, topping it with the crispy garlic. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Don't skip warming the milk before adding it — cold milk added straight to hot mashed potato can make the texture gluey rather than smooth.Watch the butter and garlic closely in the final minute — they can go from golden and crispy to burnt very quickly once they start to colour.Use a ricer over a regular masher if you have one — it gives a noticeably smoother, lump-free result, which matters for a dish this simple.
Storage & Reheating
Will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a pot over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen it back up, stirring frequently, or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between.