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.
245 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 litre 
129 ml 
125 ml 
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 litre 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 129 ml butter cut into small pieces, a little at a time, stirring well until the butter is completely incorporated.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Add 125 ml 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
Dauphinoise potatoes with Serano ham
These tasty, bite-sized rosettes can be served as an aperitif snack or to accompany a meal.
114 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.
115 K4.3 3 hours 60 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.
129 K 14.6 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?
51 K5 1 hour 25 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.
29 K 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Ramekins of duchess potatoes, Green bean purée, Hot box cheese , Chilli langoustines, Truffade original, ... See them all 83
Butter
Like these other recipes: Beurre blanc sauce, Apple custard tart, Caribbean upside-down cake, Sautéed Green Vegetables in pan, Flaky brownie brioche, ... See them all 475
Cream
Like these other recipes: Nicholas's fish, Fish Mousselines, Mini cheese and mustard toasts, Fisherman's Ragout, Curried prawn risotto, ... See them all 117
Salt
Like these other recipes: Green hummus, Shallot confit tart, Chorba, Pan-baked hash brown (Hash-brown casserole), Spicy roast cauliflower gratin, ... See them all 658
Other recipes you may also like
Couscous
In couscous, the meat and vegetable mixture is rather long to cook, but not difficult. And the couscous itself (a kind of coarse semolina) is simple and quick to prepare. November 16th 2017526 K4.3 2 hours 40 min.
Montbenoit's canapés
A recipe from Franche-comté (lovely region of eastern France): large slices of bread coated with melted shallot, grilled bacon dice, a big slice of Morbier (cheese from the same region) and a brief spell in the oven. It really is a winter dish. October 13th 2010284 K4.6 1 hour 45 min.
Hummus
Hummus (or houmous), is one of the famous and delicious Lebanese "mezzes". May 30th 2020343 K4.7 20 min.
Fougasse with bacon and Comté
This is a richer version of the traditional Mediterranean recipe (originaly, it was a simple olive oil bread). October 24th 2017346 K4.1 3 hours 9 min.
Sausage in brioche
In this recipe, sausage is cooked, the skin removed, and baked in a savoury brioche dough. Serve preferably with a good green salad and French dressing (vinaigrette). September 10th 2018421 K5 1 hour 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-31)
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.