POMMES DUCHESSE
Pommes Duchesse, or Duchess Potatoes, are typically made from fluffy mashed potatoes mixed with cream, egg yolks, & nutmeg which are then piped using a pastry bag into delicately-ridged mounds, brushed with butter & baked to golden perfection.
We’ve come up with a sort of mash-up (pun intended) between classic Duchess Potatoes & traditional Aligot (a French version of mashed potatoes that is so cheesy it stretches!) by adding a few cloves of garlic & a generous amount of cheese to the mix.
While a piping bag certainly gives these a professional pop, they’re still pretty cute when piped through a regular plastic zip-top bag (as seen above), & equally delicious when served in casserole form.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the cubed potatoes & garlic cloves in a large pot & cover with water by an inch. Add the salt & bring to a boil, simmering until the potatoes are fork-tender, then drain.
Mash or rice the potatoes (don’t worry, the softened garlic will distribute itself evenly), then add the cheese, heavy cream, egg yolks, nutmeg, & pepper. Make sure everything is incorporated thoroughly, but don’t stir too quickly or aggressively—over-mixing the potatoes will make them gluey.
To make true (fancy!) Duchess Potatoes, fill your piping bag with the potato mixture. Using a ½ cup or so of the mixture for each serving, pipe tall mounds onto two parchment-lined baking sheets, about an inch apart from one another. Brush each mound gently (don’t flatten the ridges from the piping!) with melted butter & dust with paprika.
To make a slightly less labor-intensive, Family-Style casserole version, simply spread the potato mixture evenly into a buttered baking dish. Use a fork to create ridges, peaks, or another textured pattern across the top of the potatoes (be as creative as you’d like, the goal here is to mimic piping in order to achieve the same golden, crispy-edged effect of individual Duchess Potatoes), then gently brush the entire top with melted butter & dust with paprika.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crisped & golden on top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired.
Use a spatula to transfer 2 piped mounds onto each plate after cooling for a few moments; cool casserole for 10 minutes before serving.
EQUIPMENT
For Individually-Piped Portions:
Piping bag fitted with a wide star tip, or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off
Parchment paper
2 Baking sheets
For a Family-Style Duchess Potato Casserole:
Medium baking dish
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon salt
1-½ cups finely grated Alpha Tolman, Cabot Clothbound, or Highlander
⅓ cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ tsp pepper or white pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter
Paprika for dusting
Optional - chopped fresh herbs (parsley + chives work well here)
