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.
257 K 4.3/5 (36 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
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.
37 K 25 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"...
426 K 24.3 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.
121 K4.6 40 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.
122 K3.9 55 min.
Sausage and mashed potatoes
Sausage and mashed potato, a classic family favourite, served here with a delicious reduced gravy.
31 K 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Pork roast with herbs, Truffade original, Morteau sausage , Leek and potato soup, Winegrowers' sausage casserole, ... See them all 90
Cream
Like these other recipes: Mini cheese and mustard toasts, Spinach à la Lorraine, Gratin-style spinach and chicken omelette , Tuna pasta, Rice à la grecque, ... See them all 123
Butter
Like these other recipes: Cajun pulled pork, Fruit crémeux, Tea and white chocolate biscuits, Fish petals, vegetables julienne, and beurre blanc, Steak burger topped with egg, ... See them all 493
Salt
Like these other recipes: Leek and fresh tuna tart, Potimarron and celeriac autumn soup, Ham and endives au gratin, Winter cauliflower tabbouleh, Greek Pesto, ... See them all 695
Other recipes you may also like
Shiitake eggs
By French standards, this hardly qualifies as an omelette: beaten eggs, simply slammed in the pan with sautéed shiitake mushrooms in soy sauce. March 7th 202167 K4.2 35 min.
Bistro-style endive salad
This delicious late-winter salad is made with red endives, slivers of Mimolette* cheese and toasted walnuts. In France it is known as a "Dutch" salad and typical bistro fare. *Currently banned in the USA. March 27th 202239 K 30 min.
Brussels sprouts salad with smoked trout and Comté cheese
An elegant winter salad with sliced Brussels sprouts, smoked trout and Comté cheese. January 24th 202426 K 40 min.
Chester
Chester biscuits are shortbread biscuits made with Cheshire cheese, and are known as "Cheshire cheese cookies". Here's a version with Comté cheese. August 24th 202512 K 1 hour 55 min.
Clarified butter
This is a way of melting butter to eliminate all the impurities. The clarified butter can then be heated without spoiling, and is more digestible. It is ideal for cooking at high temperatures where small black specks would spoil the appearance, or for emulsified sauces like béarnaise or mousseline. June 21th 2017486 K4.2 2 hours 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-03-29)
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.