Duchess Potatoes are a fancy-pants way to serve classic mashed potatoes. They are visually delightful, very delicious, and not much more difficult than making everyday mashed potatoes. Next time you are planning a holiday feast, give this recipe a try. Your guests will love it!
Duchess Potatoes Recipe
Duchess Potatoes
Equipment
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- large saucepan
- spider strainer
- mixing bowl
- potato ricer
- large spoon
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- icing bag with large star tip
- silicon brush
Ingredients
- 6 whole medium potatoes – peeled and halved
- 4 tbsp butter – divided
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp chives – chopped
- 3 sprigs rosemary – for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, then cut them into even sized pieces.6 whole medium potatoes
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a rolling boil. Add salt, then carefully add the potatoes pieces to the boiling water.
- Adjust the temperature to a low boil. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender, but not falling apart.
- Use a spider strainer to remove the potatoes. Allow the potatoes to steam out for at least five minutes, or until you no longer see steam. You want the potatoes to be as dry as possible.
- Use a potato ricer with a fine screen to rice all of the potato pieces.
- Cut the butter into pieces, then add it to the riced potatoes.4 tbsp butter
- Preheat the milk in the microwave until very hot. Pour the milk over the potatoes then gently fold until incorporated.1/4 cup whole milk
- Add the egg yolks to the mash.2 egg yolks
- Gently fold the mash until the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Add the salt and pepper.1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Again, gently fold until incorporated.
- Add the sour cream and chives or green onions.2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp chives
- Fold into the mash. The mash should be light and airy, but not overly mashed. Overly mashed potatoes are starchy, which is not what you want here.
- Add the mash to a piping bag with a large star-shaped tip. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, carefully extrude the mash into neat little piles, reminiscent of carnation flowers.
- Melt butter in the microwave, then carefully drizzle the melted butter on top of each mound of mashed potatoes. Be careful not to disturb the delicate petals you created!
- Bake in the oven for 30 – 45 minutes, or until brown crispy edges begin to form.
- Remove to a warm serving plate. You can use a butane torch for creme brûlée to add a little more browning if necessary. Garnish with rosemary, and serve warm.3 sprigs rosemary
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Duchess Potatoes are simply fancily presented mashed potatoes. They are fun to make, visually appealing, and add a touch of class to a fancy meal.
Tips
Forget the nutmeg
I’ve seen many recipes for Duchess potatoes that call for adding nutmeg. If you want to ruin perfectly delicious potatoes, by all means add nutmeg. In my opinion, nutmeg is good on pumpkin pie, and maybe in hot chocolate. But, that’s about it. If I’m searching for a recipe and see one that includes nutmeg, I will always immediately close the tab.
Use the right tip
Use an icing bag with a large star-shaped tip for the best results. This will give nice peaks and ridges, which will crisp up giving Duchess potatoes their classic look.
Don’t over-process
Don’t over-mash the potatoes. Overly processed potatoes will get gummy and starchy. The texture is ruined, and they will flatten out when you bake them. Use a potato ricer instead of a masher. This will give your potatoes a fine texture without the need to excessively mash the potatoes. Gently fold in the ingredients. This will help the mash to remain light and fluffy.
Don’t add too much liquid
Be careful when adding the hot milk. You want the mashed potatoes to stand up in peaks, and not flatten out when you bake them. Too much moisture will cause the potatoes to lose their shape. The hot milk serves two purposes: 1) melt the butter, 2) add a small amount of moisture to the mash.
Finish with a butane torch
A butane torch for creme brûlée works great for adding a bit more browning to the ridges and peaks without over-baking the potatoes.
Garnish with rosemary
The whole purpose of Duchess Potatoes is the presentation. Use a nice serving dish, and garnish with some sprigs of rosemary. The deep green color and pungent aroma of the rosemary adds visual and aromatic appeal.
Related Recipes
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Potato Cakes
Hasselback Potatoes
Skillet Potatoes au Gratin
Care to comment? I'd love to read it. Please be cool, respectful, relevant, positive or constructive, and leave an actual comment. Thanks!