MAKE AHEAD DUCHESS POTATOES - FREEZER FRIENDLY

By porklion

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from pudgefactor.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make Ahead Duchess Potatoes

Simple to make and elegant to serve, these Duchess Potatoes freeze beautifully for a make-ahead side dish for your holiday or any time feast.

In the past when I’ve made these, I’ve peeled, sliced and boiled the potatoes. However, doing it this way introduces a lot of water into the potatoes, impacting their final consistency. This time, I thought – why not just microwave the whole potatoes, which would not only allow for the liquid to evaporate, but also make it super easy to remove the skin? This worked like a charm! First, I pricked the potatoes all over with a fork. Then I microwaved them for 18 minutes on high, turning them over twice.

I added the butter to the hot potatoes, along with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Finally, I stirred the potatoes well with a wooden spoon, and tasted the mixture to see if I needed to add additional salt. Actually, it was perfect! Then I added the egg yolks and cream, and continued stirring the mixture until everything was well incorporated.

I fitted a piping bag with a 1-M star tip, and using a large ice cream scoop, added some of the mixture to the bag. This was a trick that I learned from Susan!

I piped a 3-inch circle onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and built it upward to produce the classic shape of the Duchess Potatoes. I repeated this for the remaining mixture, ending up with 12 Duchess potatoes.

To freeze, pipe Duchess Potatoes on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in freezer until Duchess Potatoes are frozen. Transfer to Ziploc bag; seal and place in freezer.

Make Ahead Duchess Potatoes

Cut potatoes in half; scoop pulp into potato ricer and process into large bowl. Add butter and mix well with wooden spoon until the butter is melted and well blended (do not use electric mixer). Add salt, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg; stir to combine. Correct seasonings.

Add egg yolks, one at a time; mix well with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add cream; mix well with wooden spoon until well blended.

While still warm, place mixture in a pastry bag with a 1M tip. Pipe onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil. (Note: May be made in advance up to this point and frozen.)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Brush potatoes lightly with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 12 Duchess Potatoes.