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.
242 K 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
1 kg 300 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: October 3rd 2010
For 1 kg 300 g, you will need:
1 kg 
125 g 
125 g 
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 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.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=9 % | 200 RDI=20 % | 140 RDI=20 % | 2,170 RDI=110 % | 9,090 RDI: 110 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI=9 % | 730 RDI: 9 % |
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
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.
111 K3.9 55 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?
48 K5 1 hour 25 min.
Dauphinoise potatoes with Serano ham
These tasty, bite-sized rosettes can be served as an aperitif snack or to accompany a meal.
110 K4.6 40 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.
111 K4.3 3 hours 60 min.
Sausage and mashed potatoes
Sausage and mashed potato, a classic family favourite, served here with a delicious reduced gravy.
2,562 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Potato gratin, Leek and potato soup, Express sauerkraut, Truffade, Gratin "grilled inside", ... See them all 83
Butter
Like these other recipes: Cockles and cabbage with smoky cream sauce, Pistachio cream, Flaky brownie brioche, White bean gratin "à l'italienne", Smooth mixed vegetable soup, ... See them all 472
Cream
Like these other recipes: Spinach à la Lorraine, Caramelized apple "moelleux" cake, Courgettes (zuchinis) , Stock-pot fish , Lille style chicken, ... See them all 115
Salt
Like these other recipes: Sunday night pasta, Mediterranean toast, Veal Chop With Assortment of Vegetables, Quick prawn curry, Eggplant Polpette, ... See them all 649
Other recipes you may also like
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of...August 12th 2018424 K 15 30 min.
Lime (or lemon) curd
Lime curd is a delicious conserve and variation on the traditional lemon curd, made with limes, eggs and butter. It's the perfect filling for either large or small tarts.July 10th 2011165 K5 55 min.
Pickled gherkins
Preparing your own gherkins in vinegar is quite straightforward, if you know how to avoid a few pitfalls. Here's a recipe which works every time.August 21th 2013775 K 73.1 4 hours 40 min.
Swiss meringues
Swiss meringues are a variant of the classic French meringue. The eggs whites and sugar are beaten together in a bain-marie at first, then beaten stiff as normal. This makes for a firmer meringue which can be used to make small items or figures to decorate cakes or ice creams (such as mushrooms,...June 2nd 2015124 K3.8 1 hour 20 min.
Foie gras Chantilly
Chantilly is a method which is applied to cream of course, but also to other surprising ingredients. If we look at the more scientific side of Chantilly we can see that it's mainly cream, and cream is a mix of very small droplets of milk fat and water, which is called an emulsion. When we whip this...September 17th 2013121 K4.6 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-22)
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.