Pommes Dauphines

Steps

• Wash and peel the potatoes
• Place them into a casserole with cold water and boil for 30’ until they are cooked
• Take them out of the casserole
• Add them in an electric chopper (or potato masher) and mix until they become like a cream
• Add salt and pepper and mix (or press) again
• Put aside
• Add in a small casserole:
  • the water
  • the butter (sliced in dices)
  • the salt
  • the nutmeg
• Stir with a wooden spoon
• When it starts to boil, remove from heat
• Add all the flour in a single batch
• Stir with the wooden spoon
• Once all water is absorbed, put the casserole back to heat
• Stir with the wooden spoon to dry the dough (it will become a bit more thick and there will be no liquid)
• Remove from heat and place it into a bowl
• Let it cool a little bit (about 10’)
• Beat the remaining egg as an omelet
• Start adding the egg into the dough with a tablespoon
• Stir with the wooden spoon after each addition and insist to absorb the egg, at the end the dough should be soft but not liquid (if it seems that it will become liquid, stop adding the egg)
• Once the egg absorbed, start adding the potatoes puree, little-by-little, and keep stirring with the wooden spoon after each addition
• Once all the puree is incorporated, place your dough into a piping bag with a plain pastry tip of 10mm of Ø
• Create 16 small balls of dough
• Let them rest for 30’
• Add some cold water into a soup plate
• Soak your hands in it and start shaping the balls in small spheres
• Heat up special oil for frying until 180°C (you are going to start seeing stripes into the oil) 
• Place into the oil 3 little balls at each batch, it might be necessary to soak your hands again in water to grab the little spheres
• Take out the little balls using a fork once they become golden, and place them onto paper towel to omit the extra oil
• Place them in a plate going to the oven and cook for 2’ max
• They are ready and so good even the next day!
• 😉

What’s the story behind this recipe?

I really don’t remember when I eat pommes dauphines for the first time, but I still remember what an impression they had on me and how good they were :-) They are so tasteful and so particularly French and good! It’s an excellent side dish for meat, and even if we are on a diet, we can allow ourselves to eat some from time to time as long as we don’t eat much and we take the time to taste every single bite! Just try them this way and you will see!

Inspiration

The recipe of the chef nini in her French blog.