Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes “Duchesse”

• portions: 16 servings
• temps actif: 50 minutes
• temps total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingrédients

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons/6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing

6 pounds yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tablespoons fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white, plus more as needed

1 cup well-shaken full-fat or low-fat buttermilk, plus more as needed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Step 1

Butter a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe dish and set it nearby. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of the salt, and boil, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Drain well, then pass through a potato ricer back into the pot. (Alternatively, mash the potatoes with a potato masher until the desired consistency is reached.)

Step 3

Add the 1 1/2 sticks of butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt and the pepper, and gently stir to melt the butter and incorporate the seasonings. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Add the buttermilk, and mix or mash to incorporate, adding more buttermilk, as needed, until the mashed potatoes are fluffy and creamy.

Step 4

Transfer all but 1 cup of the mashed potatoes to the prepared dish and spread in an even layer, smoothing out the top. Transfer the reserved mashed potatoes to a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe dollops of the mash around the perimeter of the dish. Sprinkle the entire surface with the cheese and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If desired, turn the broiler on HIGH and broil for about 1 minute, for a deeper shade of golden brown. (Be sure your dish is broiler-safe, if you do this.)

Notes

Substitutions

Dairy-free? >> Use nondairy buttermilk (see related recipe), milk or cream, and nondairy butter.

Buttermilk >> sour cream, heavy cream, half-and-half or milk.

Yellow potatoes >> russet potatoes, but you’ll need to add more buttermilk for a creamy, luxurious consistency.

Variations

For a simpler presentation, skip the baking and cheese, and serve the mashed potatoes as is. You may want to season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutrition

• Taille de Portion: Per serving (3/4 cup, us
• Calories: 200
• Lipides Totaux: 9 g
• Lipides Saturés: 5 g
• Cholestérol: 23 mg
• Sodium: 487 mg
• Glucides Totaux: 28 g
• Fibres Diététiques: 2 g
• Sucres Totaux: 13 g
• Protéines: 3 g