Potato purée
The French have fond childhood memories of this, and while nothing will ever be as good as "Maman" made, here's a fairly straightforward way to make it.
243 K 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
2 kg 600 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: October 3rd 2010
For 2 kg 600 g, you will need:
8 ½ cups 
1 cup + 2 tablespoons 
1 cup 
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Cooking: 45 min.
All in all: 1 hour 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 40 min.
Wash 8 ½ cups potatoes but don't peel them. Put on to boil in a large pan of lightly-salted water.
The potatoes are cooked when a knife blade goes through them easily.
The potatoes are cooked when a knife blade goes through them easily.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Remove them from the water as soon as they are cooked (don't leave them to cool in the water, they might take on an unpleasant taste).
Stage 3 - 5 min.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel them and remove any small blemishes (the "eyes" of the potato).
Stage 4 - 15 min.
Cut into pieces and pass through a vegetable mill using the finest setting.
If you don't have a vegetable mill, use a potato masher (a sort of grid on a handle), but it's hard work.
If you don't have a vegetable mill, use a potato masher (a sort of grid on a handle), but it's hard work.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Put the mashed potatoes in a pan.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Stir constantly over low heat for 4 or 5 minutes to dry the purée.
This is to improve the texture.
This is to improve the texture.
Stage 7 - 3 min.
Then add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, a little at a time, stirring well until the butter is completely incorporated.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Add 1 cup cream and mix again thoroughly.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Salt and pepper. Your potato purée is ready.
Already quite delicious just as it is, you can serve it "Irish style", for example, with a little chopped chives.
Already quite delicious just as it is, you can serve it "Irish style", for example, with a little chopped chives.
Stage 10 - 20 min.
You can improve it even further by passing it through a sieve. It's long and tiring...
Stage 11
...but you'll have the finest, smoothest potato purée ever.
Remarks
I advise you to use white pepper rather than black; it's less noticable in the finished purée (no little black bits).
The great chef Joel Robuchon liked to say that he built his restaurant's reputation on its potato purée and green salad. Indeed, I got the idea of using the sieve from him, but please note that in his day he used 250g (½ lb) of butter for 1 kg (just over 2 lb) of potatoes!
The great chef Joel Robuchon liked to say that he built his restaurant's reputation on its potato purée and green salad. Indeed, I got the idea of using the sieve from him, but please note that in his day he used 250g (½ lb) of butter for 1 kg (just over 2 lb) of potatoes!
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 50 RDI=20 % | 390 RDI=40 % | 290 RDI=40 % | 4,340 RDI=220 % | 18,180 RDI: 220 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI=9 % | 730 RDI: 9 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 2 kg 600 g : 4.75 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 16
Salmon and Spinach Gratin
This gratin has a layer of spinach, a layer of salmon with tomato and a layer of potato purée topped with grated cheese.
68 K4.3 50 min.
Chicken Brussels pie
This is a novel twist on the well known cottage or shepherd's pie idea (minced meat topped with mashed potato). Why not try this "Brussels" pie with a mixture of mashed potato and Brussels sprouts on top of chopped chicken?
49 K5 1 hour 25 min.
Two-stage beef chuck
This recipe cooks beef chuck (or braising steak) in two stages: first, slow-cooked in red wine "in the bag", then fried and served with potato purée and a red-wine sauce.
112 K4.3 3 hours 60 min.
Sausage with duchess potatoes and a Mont d'Or fondue
The duchess potatoes are poached in a roll before being sliced and fried. They are served in alternate layers with slices of sausage, also cooked in two stages (boiled then fried), then topped with a fondue of Mont d'Or cheese.
199 K3.9 2 hours 15 min.
Hachis parmentier
This is the French answer (meat with mashed potato and cheese) to the English cottage or shepherd's pie: a typical family recipe which is an excellent way of using up leftover meat. The proportions are vague here: you need "whatever you have left over"...
410 K 24.3 1 hour 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Gratin with Parmesan flavours, Ramekins of duchess potatoes, Salt cod brandade, Gratin of potatoes with morels and yellow wine, Smoky potato and potimarron gratin, ... See them all 83
Cream
Like these other recipes: Elsa's Comtoise galette, Feta and spinach brik pie, Vol-au-vent, Potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) purée, Creamy polenta with green asparagus, ... See them all 115
Butter
Like these other recipes: Brussels-Bombay salad, Cookies of the Camisards, Cauliflower and chickpea purée, Tomato tatin, Breton galettes (pancakes), ... See them all 472
Salt
Like these other recipes: Fillet of salmon meunière, Normandy seafood stew, Stock-pot fish , Crab Cakes, Cretan-style salmon , ... See them all 653
Other recipes you may also like
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe,...October 3rd 20191.60 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
Involtinis
Involtinis are small rolls of meat, usually veal, and cheese. Here is my version.February 21th 2011398 K4.4 2 hours 55 min.
You should not add raisins to recipes dry
Used straight from the packet raisins are too dry and hard.February 21th 2011267 K4.1 40 min.
How to prepare a bain-marie
A bain-marie is the best way to cook or heat a preparation gently without risk of burning.July 5th 2013519 K5 7 min.
Almond tuiles
These delicious little biscuits ("tiles" in French) get their crunch and lightness from the use of flaked almonds rather than ground. It is not difficult to succeed, you just need to work fast after taking them out of the oven.August 21th 2019388 K4 1 hour 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.