Ash-Roasted Mashed Potatoes

The cooking procedure here is the same as for "Arsh" Potatoes, and you just smash the potatoes with butter and milk into a rich, smoky smash after removing the charred peel. How much peel you leave on is up to you: The more skin you leave on the potatoes, the less desirable the color will be. But if you don't care what your mash looks like, the charred skin is delicious. I leave enough on to have the little black specks throughout the mash.

Ingredients: 

6 Servings

• 6 medium russet potatoes (about 6 ounces each) 

• Vegetable oil

• Kosher salt

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

• 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature, plus more as needed

• Freshly ground black pepper 

Method: 

Build a fire and allow it to burn until it produces a bed of smoldering ashes and embers.

Lightly brush the potatoes with oil and season generously with kosher salt.

Poke each potato a few times with a fork.

Using a shovel or long metal tongs, spread the ashes and coals to create a shallow well, making sure the ashes are smoking-hot, but without any burning red coals. Place the potatoes directly on the ashes in the well, cover with 1 inch of ashes, and cook. Check occasionally to see if the ashes are cooling down. (You will know they are if you can hold the back of your hand a few inches above the ash pile for more than 5 or 6 seconds.) Add more hot ashes as needed, and cook until the potatoes are charred all over and tender when poked with a fork, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Time will vary depending on the heat of the ashes and the size of the potatoes.)

Using your tongs or shovel, remove the potatoes from the coals and let them cool slightly.

Put on heatproof barbecue gloves. Brush as much of the ash as possible from the skins of the potatoes. Peel and discard about half of the potato skins, or more if desired.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until almost smooth. Add the butter and milk, season with kosher salt and pepper to taste, and mash to combine. If the potatoes are still too thick and pasty, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until they reach a light, whipped consistency.

You are generally trying to avoid the texture of Play-Doh, if you know what I mean. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve.