Pommes Dauphines

Appetizer, Appetizers & Snacks, Side Dish

Crispy golden puffs of potato and choux pastry that are impossibly light, soft and creamy inside and crunchy outside. The perfect contrast. These are what the French serve alongside a dish when they want to show off a bit!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Ingredients  

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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 wooden spoon
• 1 large heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer
• 1 kitchen thermometer
• 1 skimmer spoon
• kitchen paper
• 1 piping bag

Instructions

1. 1. Cook the potatoes

   Peel the potatoes and cut them into even chunks, about 4cm pieces. Put them in a large saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until they're completely tender and falling apart when you prod them with a knife. Drain them well, then put them back in the hot pan for a minute to dry out properly. This step matters, any water left in the potatoes will make the mixture too wet.
2. 2. Mash the potatoes

   Mash the potatoes really well until there are absolutely no lumps. Add the butter whilst they're still hot, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it all in and set aside to cool slightly whilst you make the choux pastry. The potatoes should be warm but not boiling hot when you combine them with the choux.
3. 3. Make the choux pastry

   Put the water, butter, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a proper boil, you want the butter completely melted. Take the pan off the heat and tip in all the flour at once. Beat it hard with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a smooth ball of dough. Put the pan back on low heat and keep beating for about 2 minutes, this cooks out the raw flour taste and dries the dough out a bit. You'll know it's ready when the dough stops sticking to the sides of the pan.
4. 4. Add the eggs to the choux

   Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing really well after each addition. The mixture will look like it's split at first, that's normal. Keep beating and it'll come back together into a smooth, glossy paste that drops off the spoon slowly. If it's too stiff, beat in a tiny splash of water.
5. 5. Combine potato and choux

   Add the choux pastry to the mashed potato whilst both are still warm. Mix them together thoroughly until you've got a smooth, uniform mixture. It should be soft and pipeable but hold its shape. Taste it and adjust the seasoning, it needs to be well seasoned because the frying dulls the flavour a bit.
6. 6. Heat the oil

   Pour oil into your deep fryer or a large, heavy pot to a depth of at least 8cm. Heat it to 170°C, use a thermometer to check. This temperature is crucial. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks; too cool and they'll be greasy and won't puff up properly.
7. 7. Fry the pommes dauphines

   You can either pipe the mixture or use two spoons.

   If piping: put the mixture in a piping bag with a large plain nozzle, pipe out small amounts (about the size of a walnut) directly into the hot oil, using scissors or a knife to cut them off.

   If using spoons: scoop out walnut-sized portions with one spoon, use another to push them into the oil.

   Fry 4-5 at a time, don't overcrowd the pan. They'll sink, then float to the surface and start to puff up. Fry for 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they're golden brown all over and have roughly doubled in size.
8. 8. Drain and serve

   Lift the pommes dauphines out with a skimmed spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep them warm in a low oven (around 100°C) whilst you fry the rest. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt whilst they're still hot. Serve immediately, they're at their best within 20 minutes of frying.

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!

About this recipe

History
Pommes dauphines are named after the Dauphine, the title given to the wife of the Dauphin, the heir to the French throne. The dish supposedly appeared in the 1860s when the Dauphin had a habit of arriving late to dinner. His kitchen staff needed something impressive they could cook quickly to keep guests happy whilst they waited. Enter these little puffs of potato, quick to fry, impressive to look at, and delicious enough that nobody minded the wait!

They’re related to several other French potato preparations: pommes noisette (small potato balls), croquettes, and pommes soufflées (the puffed potato slices). But pommes dauphines are unique because the choux pastry makes them lighter and airier than any other fried potato dish. When done properly, they’re almost hollow inside.

The name “pommes” means apples in French, but it’s also shorthand for “pommes de terre”, apples of the earth, which is what the French call potatoes. Every French potato dish starts with “pommes”, pommes frites, pommes anna, pommes sarladaises. There are probably a hundred different preparations, all with their own names and techniques.

Two classic French techniques
The genius of pommes dauphines is the combination of two classic French techniques: pommes duchesse (potato mash enriched with butter and egg) and pâte à choux (the pastry used for éclairs and profiteroles). Mix them together and fry them, and you get something that’s more than the sum of its parts.

You’ll find pommes dauphines on menus in proper French bistros, usually served alongside côte de boeuf, entrecôte, or roast chicken. They’re restaurant food rather than home cooking, most French people buy them frozen from the supermarket if they want them at home. But the frozen ones are rubbish compared to fresh. They’re dense, heavy, and don’t puff up properly. So roll your sleeves up, and get cooking!