Recipe No 619 component Adapted 2016

Heston’s mashed potatoes

You can call it pomme purée if you’re feeling fancy and French. Whatever you call it, it is delicious decadence.

Heston’s approach is designed to take advantage of enzymatic actions activated at specific temperatures in an unsurprisingly scientific and interesting variation on our silky mash technique or the ChefSteps approach (which looks amazing).

Perhaps one night we’ll make each recipe and do a taste test. Too much mash? Never.

Adapted from Heston Blumenthal

Time

Prep:

Total:

Difficulty
easy
Yield
6 serves • 1200 g
Special equipment
sous videpotato ricerfine mesh sieve
Metric Imperial

Processes

  • Potatoes, waxy, such as charlotte, peeled (reserve the peel) (8 small)
    1000 g
  1. 01
    Cut into equal-size pieces about 25 mm / 1".
  2. 02
    Rinse pieces under cold running water for .
  3. 03
    Vacuum pack and cook sous vide for @ 72°C / 162°F.
  4. 04
    Transfer pouch to a bowl of cold water and allow to cool completely, at least .

  • Milk (½ cup)
    125 g
  • Potato peels
  1. 05
    Meanwhile, vacuum seal together and infuse sous vide @ 72°C / 162°F until required.

  • Water
    as needed
  1. 06
    Bring to boil in a pot large enough to hold potato pieces.
  2. 07
    Unpack potatoes and add to pot. Simmer, covered, until soft, about .
  3. 08
    Drain and return to pan over low heat until fog has gone and potatoes are dry, about .

  • Butter, unsalted, cold, diced (1 block)
    200 g
  • Salt (2 tsp)
    10 g
  1. 09
    Place in a mixing bowl.
  2. 10
    Process potatoes through a ricer into the bowl.
  3. 11
    Pass through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot set over low heat.

  • Infused milk
  1. 12
    Strain.
  2. 13
    Gradually add to pot and stir gently to combine.

Notes

: you can infuse the milk with other flavours at this stage. We have tried dried mushrooms with moderate success and vanilla is particularly effective. Spices and coffee work well. Fried bacon is great! Any flavours which are effective in savoury custards will work well in a warm milk infusion.

: a #50 / 300 micron sieve works well to achieve a silky smoothness.

Making ahead

Cook and cool the potatoes in the sous vide bath and infuse the milk .

The recipe can be completed up to . Reheat gently while stirring in the warm milk.

Storing

Fridge 3 days.

Food pairings

Heston likes to add lime jelly cubes to his mash. Boeuf bourguignon.

Categorisation

Category
component purée
Meal
component side
Cuisine
france
Diet
omnivorous vegetarian
Tags
mash potato mashed potato pomme potato purée