Pommes Purée–Iconic French Mashed Potatoes

5 from 7 votes

Unbelievably smooth and decadent French bistro style mashed potatoes inspired by Joel Robuchon's classic recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 474kcal

Peel the potatoes and place them in a large pot of cold, generously salted water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them through a colander and let them rest there for about 1-2 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate. This step is key for light, fluffy potatoes.
Meanwhile, place a potato ricer over a large bowl and begin to pass the potatoes through in batches. From here, you can go ahead and transfer the potatoes to a pot on the stove and fold in the cream, butter and salt. The mash wont be as smooth Or, for *extra* smooth and velvety pommes purée, set a fine-mesh sieve or "tamis" over a pot and push the riced potatoes through the tamis with a bowl scraper.
Place the pot over medium-low heat, add in the butter, cream and a generous pinch of salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold together the purée until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Don't agitate the potatoes excessively or they will become gluey. Transfer the pommes purée to a large bowl or platter–serve warm.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Potatoes: Yukon Golds' buttery texture and subtle creaminess makes it the *perfect* potato for mashing. Yukon Gold sizes can range from golf ball to baseball-sized. To ensure even cooking, choose potatoes that are roughly all the same size.
Butter: If you can swing it, opt for the good stuff. A high quality, European style butter will really elevate the flavor and texture of the potatoes.
Heavy Cream: Whole milk or Half & Half will work too.

Storing and Re-heating Leftovers:

Leftover pommes purée can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan, add a few tablespoons of cream or milk to loosen up the potatoes as needed.