Pommes Duchesse Gratin Food

POMMES DUCHESSE

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and then press through a ricer or food mill back into the pot they were cooked in. Place over low heat for a few minutes to dry the potatoes.
• Heat the cream and 1/2 stick of the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the cream is warm but not hot. Stir the mixture into the potatoes. Mix in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese and nutmeg if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a medium baking dish with butter.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter in a small pot over low heat.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the mashed potatoes. Into the prepared baking dish, pipe the potatoes in a circular motion, about 3 inches in diameter, starting from the outside and filling in a circle. Finish by piping upwards for a nice swirl on top. Repeat to fill the entire baking dish. Brush each circle with the melted butter. Bake in the oven until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

LUXE FRENCH POTATOES

Steps:

• Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place potatoes in a large wide heavy pot. Add 1 1/2 tsp. salt and enough cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes break apart when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook garlic, cream, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in nutmeg, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt. Remove from heat.
• Drain potatoes and immediately pass through potato ricer into a large bowl. Stir in cream mixture until smooth.
• Return half of potato mixture to wide pot; reserve remaining potato mixture in bowl. Add Gruyère and mozzarella and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until cheese is melted and mixture can be stretched with the spoon (like warm mozzarella), about 10 minutes. Transfer to gratin dish; smooth top.
• Working in batches if needed, spoon reserved potato mixture in bowl into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe very tight rows of 1/2x1/2" rosettes on potato-cheese mixture in gratin dish. Bake until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

THREE CHEESE POMMES ANNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices on a mandoline. Reserve in a bowl of water until ready to use. In a medium bowl, mix together the Gruyere, Parmesan and Pecorino and set aside.
• In a small pot, melt the butter with the rosemary, garlic and nutmeg. Mix 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture with the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and set aside.
• Grease the interior of a 10-inch saute pan or baking dish with some of the butter mixture.
• Drain the potatoes, then dry on towels.
• Arrange a single layer of potatoes in the pan in a circular motion, followed by some of the onions, then approximately 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture, then a sprinkle of the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to repeat in single layers with the remaining ingredients, for about 4 layers total. Drizzle with the heavy cream and top with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are very tender, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.

POMMES ANNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
• Heat a medium nonstick or well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat. With a sharp knife or box grater, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. Pat the potato slices dry on a kitchen towel. Start to arrange 1 layer of overlapping potato slices over the bottom of the pan in concentric circles. Pour the clear liquid of the butter over the sliced potatoes, leaving the milky solids on the bottom of the saucepan. Repeat 2 more times, making 3 layers. Drizzle each layer with a bit of the butter and season the layers, alternating salt, pepper, and then nutmeg. Cook on low heat until potatoes are golden on the bottom and crisp around the outside, about 25 to 30 minutes. Shake the pan back and forth several times while cooking to keep from sticking.
• Pour off any excess butter into a small bowl and reserve. Place a flat pan lid, the diameter of the skillet, over the potatoes. Holding the lid firmly in place, gently flip over. Add the reserved butter to the pan and slide the potatoes back in. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Shake the pan back and forth several times while cooking to keep the potatoes from sticking. The bottom should be browned and crisp and the potatoes cooked through. Pour off any fat remaining in the pan and slide the potato cake onto a serving dish. Slice into wedges, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

POMMES DUCHESSE GRATIN

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prick each potato a few times, then bake in a shallow baking pan until tender, about 1 hour.
• When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve and scoop out flesh. Force flesh through ricer or food mill into a bowl.
• Heat cream with butter and garlic in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat until hot, then stir into potatoes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time with a fork until blended, then stir in salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Spoon mixture into a buttered 2-quart (10-inch) round or oval shallow gratin or casserole dish. Bake until top is puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

ULTIMATE GRATIN DAUPHINOIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 4/fan oven 140C. Rub the butter all over the surface of a gratin dish, about 18x28cm/7x11in. Peel and slice the potatoes to a width of 3mm/1⁄8in. Lay the slices on a clean tea towel and pat dry. Keep them covered with the tea towel while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Add the garlic, thyme and shallot (if using). Slowly heat the milk and, just as it is about to reach boiling point and you see bubbles appearing around the edge of the pan, remove it from the heat. Strain the liquid into a large jug, sprinkle in the nutmeg and keep warm.
• Layer half the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping the slices and sprinkling with a little salt and freshly ground pepper between each layer. You don't have to be too neat with the lower layers, but keep some of your best slices for later, so the top looks good.
• Pour half the hot milk and cream over the potatoes, then finish off layering the rest of the potatoes (arranging them a bit more carefully this time). Pour over the rest of the hot milk and cream. Scatter the cheese over the top and bake for about one hour, until golden and tender. Leave the dish to stand for about 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with a few fresh thyme leaves.

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 mins until really tender when pressed into the side of the pan. Drain well and leave to steam-dry in the pan for 2 mins. Mash the potatoes until very smooth - use a ricer if you have one, or use a masher, then press the potatoes through a metal sieve to ensure they're completely lump-free.
• Mix the egg yolk, butter and cheese in a large bowl, then add the mash, nutmeg and some seasoning. Mix well with a spatula until the butter has melted and is well incorporated. It will come away from the sides of the bowl, similar to choux pastry.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Spoon the mash into a piping bag with a wide star nozzle. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and brush over a little vegetable oil. Pipe 20 walnut-sized peaked mounds onto the prepared tray, as if you were icing a cupcake. Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt and brush the potato mounds gently, to keep the fluting.
• Bake the potatoes for 15-20 mins until golden-brown and crisp.

POMMES DUCHESSE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and boil them in slightly salted water until soft. Then drain and press them.
• Mix in the egg,salt and the butter.
• Fill into a plastic storage bag wtih one corner cut off (or use a fancy pastry bag) and pipe onto a lined greased baking tray. Make any shape you want. I usually make 'S' shapes or circles.
• Mix egg yolk and milk and brush onto your potatoes.
• Bake at 450° oven for 10-12 minutes.