Preheat the oven to 200°c. Peel any loose outer layers from the garlic and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut ¼ to ½ inch off the top of the cloves, to expose the individual cloves of garlic. Place onto foil and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil. Wrap foil entirely around to close and bake for 40 minutes.
Wash potatoes well and toss into a pot (optional to peel potatoes first, but I recommend leaving unpeeled for extra flavour). Fill pot with water, 2-3 inches above the potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the centre of the potatoes with ease. Strain, pat dry as best you can, and add back to the pot.
With a knife, cut potatoes into large chunks (this will help with mashing). Squeeze the head of roasted garlic into the pot so that the roasted cloves pop out. Add melted dairy-free butter, coconut milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Mash potatoes using a hand blender on pulse or using a potato masher or a fork. Be sure not to over mash, as the potatoes will get gummy. Instead, mash until just combined and finish any last forgotten large pieces with a fork.
In a small pan, add 2 teaspoons of avocado oil and bring to medium-high heat. When hot, add sprigs of rosemary and thyme and fry herbs until crispy and perfumed (a couple seconds each side for the thyme and a bit longer for the rosemary). Lay on paper towels to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with fried rosemary and thyme. Add a dollop more butter, and more salt and pepper, to taste.
