Duchess Potatoes, also known as Pommes Duchesse, are an elegant but simple way to prepare mashed potatoes. They're easy to make but look fancy, and you can even make them with leftover mashed potatoes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Duchess potatoes are an easy French cuisine classic! Simply seasoned mashed potatoes piped into mounds or rosettes and baked until golden brown. Low cost, and high impact, they look impressive served any time.
- Duchess Potatoes are perfect as an elegant side dish for a Holiday meal.
- They're pretty easy to make, the only difficult part is piping the potatoes into mounds or rosettes, but you can do that with a piping bag or even a spoon.
- Duchess potatoes look impressive on a dinner plate and are an elegant side dish.
- Economical! Such a impressive potatoes presentation, for pennies!
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Ingredients
Yukon Gold potatoes are the best potatoes for making duchess potatoes. They are high in starch, which gives them a light and fluffy texture. Other good options include Russet potatoes and Idaho potatoes.
- Look for potatoes that are firm and free of blemishes.
- Avoid potatoes that are green or have soft spots.
- Choose potatoes that are the same size so they cook evenly.
- Yukon potatoes - Any potatoes will be fine, but Yukon's are just naturally creamier.
- Egg Yolks - Save the egg whites for making meringue!
- Milk - You can also substitute Half & Half, any dairy or non dairy milk, Sour Cream, or Plain Yogurt (see our Lactose Free Yogurt recipe to make your own).
- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter is fine. If you use salted, be sure to taste test before adding additional salt.
- Black Pepper - Use fresh cracked black pepper for fresh flavor, but tinned fine ground black pepper, or fine ground white pepper is also great!
- Parsley - Chopped for garnish, optional.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Duchess Potatoes
- Start by preheating your oven to 400F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with non stick cooking spray).
Peel and Boil the Potatoes
- Add water and a dash of salt to a medium large size pot, and turn the heat to high so that it can come to a boil.
- Peel the potatoes and then quarter them. Add them to the pot of heating water.
- Cook potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and let them cool 5 minutes. Add to a medium size bowl.
- Add the milk, salt, pepper, and half the butter and mash the potatoes until smooth.
Add the Egg Yolks
- Add the egg yolks and combine until just mixed in thoroughly. Don't over do it.
Fill the Piping Bag
- Put a star tip on a pastry or piping bag, and fill with the mashed potatoes and pipe the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet in rosette swirls.
PRO TIP: Use a tall drinking glass to hold and stabilize the piping bag while filling it.
Brush With Butter & Bake
- Melt the remaining butter in the microwave for 20 seconds and brush it on the potato rosettes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Duchess potatoes as a side dish with roast beef or chicken, or at any special or Holiday meal. They go perfectly with our:
- Sous Vide Roast Beef
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Cast Iron Flank Steak
- Broccoli Bacon Quiche
- Blackened Mahi Mahi
- Air Fryer Pork Chops (No Breading)
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Substitutions
Here are some common substitutions that you can make when making this duchess potatoes recipe:
- You can use cream or half-and-half Instead of milk for even richer potatoes.
- Butter is best, but you can use margarine instead.
- No fresh garlic? Go ahead and just use garlic powder for garlicky duchess potatoes.
Variations
There are many variations of duchess potatoes. Some popular variations include these:
- Cheese duchess potatoes - Add ½ cup of grated cheese to the potato mixture before piping it into mounds.
- Garlic duchess potatoes - Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic to the potato mixture before piping it into mounds.
- Herbed duchess potatoes - Add ¼ cup of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, or thyme, to the potato mixture before piping it into mounds.
You can also add other ingredients to the potato mixture before pipping also, such as:
- Bacon bits
- Chopped green onions
- Sour cream
- Chives
- Parmesan cheese
Equipment
To make this duchess potatoes recipe, you will need the following equipment:
- Stainless Steel Medium Stockpot
- Colander
- Kitchenaid Handmixer
- Piping Bags
- Large Rimmed Cookie sheet with cooling racks
- parchment paper sheets
Storage
Store leftover Duchess potatoes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. You can also freeze duchess potatoes for up to 3 months, baked or unbaked!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips when making this duchess potatoes recipe:
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes for the best flavor and texture.
- Make sure potatoes are fully cooked before mashing them.
- Don't over mix the potato mixture after adding the milk, butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper. Over mixing will make the potatoes tough.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the potatoes into mounds. This will give them a classic duchess potato look.
- Bake the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key ingredient in these elegant potato mounds is egg yolks.
French cuisine using egg yolks use the term 'duchesse', similar to how French cuisine prepared with spinach are termed 'florentine'.
The egg yolks emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own. Did you know you can add an egg yolk to nearly any existing mashed potato recipe also? It will make them velvety and extra creamy!
Yes, you can make duchess potatoes ahead of time. To do this, pipe the potatoes into mounds on a baking sheet and then freeze them. When you're ready to serve, bake the potatoes in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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📖 Recipe
Duchess Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water to boil
- ¼ teaspoon salt for pot of water
- 2 lb potatoes Yukon Golds, or any
- ⅓ cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh cracked or fine ground
- 4 tablespoon butter divided, save 2 tablespoons to melt and brush on tops of potatoes
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with non stick cooking spray).
- Add water and a dash of salt to a medium large size pot, and turn the heat to high so that it can come to a boil.3 quarts water, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Peel the potatoes and then quarter them. Add them to the pot of water, bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.2 lb potatoes
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and let them cool 5 minutes. Add to a medium size bowl. Add the milk, salt, pepper, and half the butter and mash the potatoes until smooth.⅓ cup milk, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the egg yolks and combine until just mixed in thoroughly. Don't over do it.3 egg yolks
- Put a star tip on a pastry or piping bag, and fill with the mashed potatoes and pipe the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet in rosette swirls.PRO TIP: Use a tall drinking glass to hold and stabilize the piping bag while filling it.
- Melt the remaining butter in the microwave for 20 seconds and brush it on the potato rosettes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.1 tablespoon parsley
Notes
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes for the best flavor and texture.
- Make sure potatoes are fully cooked before mashing them.
- Don't over mix the potato mixture after adding the milk, butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper. Over mixing will make the potatoes tough.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the potatoes into mounds. This will give them a classic duchess potato look.
- Bake the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy.
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