It's a mythical dish revisited by a legendary chef who will certainly cheer us up in this dramatic period of the coronavirus pandemic which is forcing us into confinement. Mashed potatoes, the good homemade mash, that of our childhood, trend for centuries! An emblematic recipe, undoubtedly the best known of the late chef Joël Robuchon.
Joël Robuchon's puree:the comfort dish of confinement!
A dish as simple as divine that he rehabilitated in the 80s at a time when mashed potatoes "was banned from the greatest restaurants " , as he confided in 2012 to the French daily La Nouvelle République . And then to add:"There were only sachets of Muslin in private homes! “, thus referring to a brand of dehydrated flake mash.
Joël Robuchon's mash:one of the most famous recipes in the world!
A burst of genius among many others achieved by this pioneer of "Nouvelle cuisine", this culinary movement that dates back to the post-war period, when after several years of deprivation, the French aspired only to only one thing:to avenge the hunger. Because indeed, absolutely conquered by the flavor of this mash, the New York Times will publish the recipe and the French chef will export it around the world.
Born into a family in Poitiers "raised in butter" (you'll need 250g by the way), Joël Robuchon said he had a "nostalgia" for mashed potatoes like Proust for madeleines, and as we often have this stove artist who died in 2018 at the age of 73.
Here's how to make the best mash in the world (by Joël Robuchon)!
Ingredients (for 6 people)
- 1 kg of potatoes (Ratte or BF 15). In all cases, choose potatoes with firm flesh and the same size to obtain uniform cooking. The chef uses fingerling potatoes.
- 250g butter
- 25 cl of whole milk
- coarse sea salt
Material
- A vegetable grinder equipped with the finest grid.
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes. Do not peel them.
- Put them whole in a saucepan and cover them with cold water so that the water covers the potatoes. Salt at the rate of 10 g of salt per liter of water.
- Cook, covered, at a very low simmer, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced by the blade of a knife. Quickly drain the potatoes as soon as they are cooked.
- Peel them, as soon as they are cooked. The potatoes are hot so protect your hand with a tea towel…
- Put them through a vegetable mill still warm, on the finest grid, over a large saucepan.
- Do not use a blender instead of the vegetable grinder! This is the mistake not to make:your mash will lose all its softness and will then be sticky and elastic.
- In a saucepan, slightly dry the puree over the heat, stirring it vigorously with a wooden spatula, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Away from the heat, gradually add the butter, very cold, very hard and cut into pieces. It is important to stir the puree vigorously to incorporate it well and make it smooth and creamy.
- Boil the milk and finish the puree by incorporating it very hot into the latter and mixing until it is completely absorbed.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the purée as a garnish for meats and certain fish.
