An alternative to Fries, the Pommes Dauphine

Ah potatoes ! these unassuming little tubers have been a staple food for most of the world, sadly, their prime contributions to the world of fast food, Ala the Fries and the chips has been blamed for everything from obesity to laziness to global warming. but potatoes have a lot more to offer, you just need to put in some effort.
One such dish is ‘Pommes Dauphines’ literally meaning ‘dauphine potatoes’ ( dauphine is the title of the french prince’s wife) its a delightful little snack which can be made with little time and is perfect if you are planning on entertaining guests in the evening. the process takes some effort for a snack, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Required Ingredients:
These measurements should make around 40 pieces( 30-40 gm each)
 
  1. 150 gm plain flour
  2. 110 gm butter
  3. 150 ml  milk
  4. 150 ml  water
  5. 4 medium eggs ( lightly beat them up and keep in a separate bowl)
  6. 1 kilo Potatoes 
  7. Salt and freshly-ground Black Pepper
Making the dish:
 
  1. First, let’s handle the potatoes, peel them and cut them up into pieces.
  2. Now place them in a pan, fill it with water and add a little salt and bring it to boil.
  3. Once they are at boil, let it simmer till they are soft ( 20 minutes should do ).
  4. Next mash them up till you have a thick paste.
  5. Now for part two, pour 150 ml of water and butter in a large pan and heat it till it melts.
  6. Once the butter has melted, bring it boil and add the flour, stir it constantly till you get a smooth dough.
  7. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly ( a few minutes ).
  8. Now add the beaten eggs; a little at a time and keep mixing till you get a nice paste (make sure it holds it’s shape and isn’t too runny ).
  9. Once the mixture cools, add the potato mash, a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.
  10. Now for the main event, get the oil heated up to around 190 C.
  11. Using a spoon, scoop up the paste and drop it in the oil and fry.
  12. The frying should be done till they are golden brown and look puffed up.
  13. Once fried, place the pieces on some kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil
  14. Sprinkle a little salt and serve.

Notes and tips:

  1. The process is bit messy and you will have some cleaning to do.
  2. The great thing about this dish is it can be pre-made, once you make the final paste (step 9), you can cover the bowl and leave it the fridge overnight, and fry it when needed.
  3. Be careful when adding the flour; be consistent or the mix might spill over.
  4. When frying, do it in batches of 5-10, this gives you a nice even frying time.
  5. Pommes Dauphine is usually a side dish, but you can serve it alone.
  6. If in doubt, use ketchup when severing !
  7. This video shows the process in a series of images, its in french though ‘Pommes Dauphine’
I am writing a standard recipe here (from Gourmet Britain plus a little trial and error), experiment and modify to your tastes and remember, no one gets a dish perfect the first time !

The Fox

An Engineering Student, my passions lie in english and teaching.I love gaming and writing.

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