After his first marriage ended, the chef Nick Anderer vowed to himself that he would never marry again. But “I’m a hopeless romantic,” he said one Thursday morning at his West Village restaurant, Anton’s, where he showed me how he makes his olive-oil mashed potatoes. Whenever I tell people I like to eat those Anton’s potatoes for dinner with a glass of wine and a good book, I have to repeat myself to emphasize: I like to eat just those potatoes for dinner. They are, truly, the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.

Recipe: Olive-Oil Mashed Potatoes With Bay Leaves

Mashed potatoes don’t ever mean to be the star, but like Michelle Williams in any of her character-acting roles, sometimes they’re the supernova. A pristine emulsion of liquid, starch and fat, the mashed potatoes at Anton’s — called “whipped potatoes” to reflect their light, fluffy texture — come in a shallow dish, where they level out like an infinity pool of spud. Bright green extra-virgin olive oil from Castelvetrano, a town in Sicily, thinly outlines the sides of the dish, adding not just richness but peppery intrigue. A single bay leaf sticks out, hinting to its presence. You could eat these potatoes with a spoon, but a fork allows you to linger between bites.

On that cool morning, as Anderer walked me through the recipe in the basement kitchen, where his cooks prepped the day’s service to a soundtrack of Spanish Christian rock music, I learned a few key lessons: First, use Yukon Golds, which are more consistently delicious than some old russets on the shelves. When peeling them, don’t worry about the odd bit of skin; you won’t notice them in the final product, Anderer said, jokingly calling his technique a “rustic peel à la Anton’s.” Second, really take the time to mash, mill or rice the potatoes, cutting in cold butter as you do (it will melt). I find that a fork, with a good measure of diligence, gets you to the finest, most even mash. Once you add the liquid, overmixing can lead to glueyness, so do as Anderer does and gently fold the milk and olive oil into the potatoes as if you’re dressing a salad, until, he said, “every bit of potato is moistened and seasoned.”

You could eat these potatoes with a spoon,
but a fork lets you linger.