← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 1 kg waxy or yellow potatoes (Ratte, Charlotte or Yukon Gold), similar size, scrubbed, left whole and unpeeled
• 1 tbsp salt, for the water, plus more to taste
• 200 ml whole milk
• 150 g cold butter, cubed
• 1 pinch Nutmeg (optional)
• White pepper

Method

1. Put the whole potatoes in a pan of cold water with the salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25–30 min until a knife slides in with no resistance.
2. Drain and, as soon as you can handle them, peel the potatoes. Pass them through a ricer or food mill back into the dry pan. Avoid a blender or food processor, which turns them gluey.
3. Set the pan over low heat and stir the purée with a wooden spoon for 1–2 min to dry it out a little. Meanwhile, warm the milk in another pan.
4. Beat in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, then gradually beat in the hot milk until the purée is smooth, glossy and soft enough to slump on a plate.
5. Season with salt, white pepper and a little nutmeg and serve straight away, or keep warm covered over a pan of barely simmering water.

Tips

• Cooking the potatoes whole in their skins stops them absorbing water, which gives a richer, silkier result.
• For an even smoother restaurant finish, push the purée through a fine sieve.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Serious Eats RecipeTin Eats