This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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.
252 K 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
2.40 €
1 kg 300 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: October 3rd 2010
1 kg 
125 g 
125 g 
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 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!
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
How much will it cost?
- For 1 kg 300 g : 2.40 €
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
Spinach parmentier
A parmentier with its classic layer of mashed potatoes on top, but sliced hard-boiled eggs underneath, and grilled spinach and bacon tied together with a béchamel sauce.
13 K 60 min.
Welsh-style potato purée
A Welsh-style twist on the classic potato purée (posh mash!), with finely sliced leeks, cooked until just done to keep their lovely green colour. This dish could be the main feature or served on the side with meat, for example.
34 K 25 min.
Duck Parmentier
This recipe is very simple to make as everything can be prepared in advance. A layer of duck meat is sandwiched between two layers of potato purée. This is topped with grated cheese before being put in the oven.
119 K3.9 55 min.
Potato and two ham gratin
Little morsels of boiled and raw cured ham sautéd briefly then mixed with mashed potatoes and finished as a gratin in the oven.
135 K 14.6 50 min.
Colcannon
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish, made by mixing creamy mashed potatoes (or purée) with cabbage, chives and spring onions. There are many different versions and ways to adapt this classic recipe. My version here serves it with baked sausages.
64 K4 1 hour 8 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Smoky sausage and mash, Creamy "terre et mer" pots, Boulangère potatoes, Crème de foie gras, Potato gratin with 3 cheeses, ... See them all 84
Cream
Like these other recipes: Gratin Comtois, Potimarron (chestnut pumpkin) "au gratin", Cheese tart, Whiting fillet with mustard carrots, Almond mug cake for Mary, ... See them all 120
Butter
Like these other recipes: Leek and broccoli "à la flamande", Nanou's chocolate cake, Lille style chicken, Lemon tart, Beurre d'escargot, ... See them all 481
Salt
Like these other recipes: Larded pork tenderloin, Mackerel rillettes, Couscous, Olive and pesto bread, "BN style" chocolate-filled biscuits, ... See them all 674
Other recipes you may also like
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 2019397 K4 1 hour 20 min.
How to prepare sorrel
Here is how to clean and cut fresh leaves to use in a recipe, by removing stalks and central vein, to retain only the very best of the sorrel. October 6th 2010459 K3.3 35 min.
Larded pork tenderloin
Tenderloin of pork stuffed with mustard and parsley, then wrapped in thin slices of bacon and oven roasted. November 3rd 2011268 K 14.7 1 hour 30 min.
Cassoulet
Cassoulet is typical, even emblematic, of southern French cuisine. It is a "slow food" casserole in which meat and vegetables, particualrly dried beans, are cooked together for a long time. Here is a simplified version of this famous dish. September 17th 2021230 K4.1 16 hours 9 min.
Peanut rolls
Combining soft and crunchy textures, these flavour-packed peanut rolls are delicious just as they are, but they are also ideal for burgers. October 24th 201797 K4.6 4 hours
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-23)
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.