Pommes Dauphines

Crisp golden potato puffs, light as air soft and creamy inside, made from mashed potatoes and choux pastry. Deep-fried to perfection with a delicate buttery richness, perfect alongside a any dish!

Prep25

Cook30

Total55

Servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

For the mashed potato

500 gr floury potatoes
30 gr unsalted butter
salt and black pepper

For the choux pastry

125 ml water
50 gr unsalted butter
75 gr plain flour
2 egg
1 pinch salt

For frying

1,5 l rapeseed oil or vegetable oil or sunflower oil

Equipment

1 large saucepan for potatoes
1 saucepan for choux pastry
1 potato masher
1 heat-resistant spatula
1 fryer or large heavy-bottomed pot
1 kitchen thermometer
1 skimmer spoon
kitchen paper
1 piping bag

Instructions

Cook the potatoes

Peel and cut into even 4cm chunks. Put in a large saucepan of cold, salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer 15–20 minutes until completely tender. Drain well, then return to the hot pan for a minute to dry out. Any water left in the potatoes makes the mixture too wet.

Mash the potatoes

Mash the potatoes really well until there are no lumps. Add the butter while hot, with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix and set aside to cool slightly while you make the choux. The potato should be warm, not boiling, when you combine them.

Make the choux pastry

Put the water, butter and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a proper boil so the butter fully melts. Off the heat, tip in all the flour at once and beat hard with a heat-resistant spatula until it forms a smooth ball. Return to low heat and beat for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour and dry the dough, it's ready when it stops sticking to the sides.

Add the eggs

Off the heat, let it cool a minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. It'll look split at first, that's normal, keep going until it's smooth and glossy and drops slowly off the spoon. If too stiff, beat in a tiny splash of water.

Combine potato and choux

Add the choux to the mash while both are still warm. Mix thoroughly to a smooth, uniform paste, soft and pipeable but holding its shape. Taste and season well, frying dulls the flavour.

Heat the oil

Pour oil into your fryer or heavy pot to a depth of at least 8cm. Heat to 170°C, checked with a thermometer. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks; too cool and they turn greasy and won't puff.

Fry

Pipe walnut-sized amounts (plain nozzle) straight into the oil, cutting them off with scissors or a knife, or use two spoons. Fry 4–5 at a time, don't overcrowd. They'll sink, float, and puff. Fry 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over and roughly doubled in size.

Drain and serve

Lift out with a skimmer spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a low oven (around 100°C) while you fry the rest. Salt lightly while hot. Serve immediately, best within 20 minutes.

Notes

The mixture can be made a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature before frying.
If the mixture seems too wet to hold its shape, add a tablespoon of flour. If it's too stiff, add a splash of milk.
Don't skip the potato ricer if you've got one, lumpy potatoes make lumpy puffs.
You can freeze uncooked pommes dauphines on a tray, then fry them from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
Day-old pommes dauphines can be reheated in a 200°C oven for 5-6 minutes, but they won't be quite as good as fresh.
For a cheesy version, add 50g grated Gruyère to the mixture!

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