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.
150,0214.6/5 for 26 ratings
Last modified on: October 3rd 2010
For 1 kg 300 g, you will need:
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
| Preparation | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|
| 50 min. | 45 min. | 1 hour 35 min. |
At what time?
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 40 min.
Wash 1 kg 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 125 g butter cut into small pieces, a little at a time, stirring well until the butter is completely incorporated.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Add 125 g 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!
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
- For 1 kg 300 g : 2.38 €
Recipes that use this recipe: 5
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Source
Home made.More recipes?
This recipe uses (among others) | Potatoes: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Piedmont salad, Fillets of sole Dieppoise, Winegrowers' sausage casserole, Truffade, Fisherman's Ragout, ... All |
 | Butter: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Icelandic-style fish and vegetable pie, Yeast-based flaky dough (for croissants), Mushrooms on toast, French style, Passion fruit jellies, Baked apples from St Aubin le Vertueux, ... All |
 | Cream: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: "Day After Pork Belly" Soup, Pan-fried salmon with white cabbage, Potimarron and Parmesan tart, Baked leek and Camembert slices, Crème brulée, ... All |
 | Pepper: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Potato galette, Sautéd broccoli with ham, Grated potato cakes, Spinach fritters, Confit of carrots with bacon, ... All |
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