Mar 9, 2009

Potato Purée

It's surprising but true: Joël Robuchon won his Michelin stars with, of all things, mashed potatoes. When he first prepared his soon-to-be signature dish at Jamin in Paris in the early 1980's, he stunned a world that was only familiar with grandma's satisfying but ordinary mashed spuds. Since then, Robuchon's incredibly rich potato purée has become so popular that customers demand it at every one of his restaurants. The key to the dish is to keep the potatoes hot as you mix in so much chilled butter—a pound for every two pounds of potato—that it takes vigorous and constant stirring to keep them smooth and silky.

Credit: André Baranowski

2 lbs. yellow-fleshed potatoes,
such as yukon gold, unpeeled
Kosher salt, to taste
1⁄4 cup milk
1 lb. unsalted butter,
cubed and chilled

1. Boil potatoes in an 8-qt. pot of salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to let cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring milk to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan; remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

2. Peel potatoes and pass them through a food mill into a 4-qt. saucepan set over medium-low heat. Using a rubber spatula, turn potatoes frequently until they take on a drier, fluffier consistency, 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Working in batches, vigorously stir in the butter until mixture is creamy. Whisk in warmed milk, season potatoes with salt, and transfer them to a warm serving bowl.

SERVES 6 – 8

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #119

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Ratings & Reviews (6)

by telepsychic on 2009-03-26

I tried to try this out but got stopped at the reading: 1/4 cup milk and 1 lb butter for 2 lbs potatoes. Can't be right. So forged ahead with more milk and 8 tb. butter -- not to die for and probably stinting on the buerre. Could you print the correct recipe? Thanks.

by bunneb on 2009-04-02

I believe it should be 1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) butter (still a lot)

by online editor, saveur.com on 2009-04-06

As noted in the intro. the secret to these silky smooth potatoes is the large amount of butter! Enjoy

by Samalicious on 2009-04-13

It's one pound butter to two pounds potatoes.

by lexie on 2009-07-18

We had these many years ago in Robuchon's original restaurant. The waiters came around and brought us seconds. We are convinced this is how they earned their 3rd star. At the time we thought the recipe was 2 parts butter/one part potato. Enjoy the French way - in moderation with lots of red wine!