Duchess Potatoes

Duchess Potatoes look fancy, but they are easy to make and pipe right on to a baking sheet. They are pillowy-soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, and you can freeze them ahead of time to bake when needed.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 280kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (see note 1)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 egg yolks at room temperature (see note 2)
6 tablespoons butter cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup Swiss cheese finely grated (1 ounce, see note 3)
Minced fresh parsley for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, add potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt. Add cold water to cover potatoes by 1 inch.
Over medium-high heat, bring to boil and partially cover pot. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in colander to remove excess water.
Wipe pot dry. Return potatoes to pot and mash until very smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in egg yolks one at a time, making sure each yolk is completely incorporated before adding the next.
Stir in the butter, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper) until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star piping tip and pipe 12 round mounds (2 1/2 inches wide by 2 inches tall) onto each prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back and continue baking until the tops of the potatoes are light golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Garnish with minced fresh parsley if desired.

Video

Notes

Potatoes: Russets work best. They’re drier and they have more starch which is a good thing for mashed potatoes. Whole potatoes cook unevenly, so cut them into uniform pieces before you cook them.
Egg yolks: Put your leftover whites to work with Angel Food Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, or a classic from Milwaukee: Schaum Torte.
Swiss cheese: Substitute Parmesan, gruyère, or even sharp cheddar cheese.
Yield: This recipe makes about 24 Duchess potatoes, enough for 8 servings, 3 rounds each.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best, crunchiest results, reheat in the oven.
Freezer: Prepare the recipe as directed and pipe onto a baking sheet or plate. Freeze until hard, then transfer them to a sealed bag and freeze up to 3 days. When ready to serve, bake according to the recipe.

Nutrition