Pommes Dauphine
Potato dumplings with texture like a feathery cloud.Pommes dauphine are delicious bite-sized balls of mashed potato wrapped with choux pastry. When deep fried they puff into dumpling shapes. Biting into a pommes dauphine is a bit like biting into a feathery cloud. They make a perfect side to a chicken or steak dish.
Ingredients
For about 16 puffs
For the mash:
800 grams (4 and a half cups) of potatoes. Use potatoes suitable for mash
2 pinches of rock salt for the water used to boil the potatoes
For the choux pastry:
250 ml (1 cup) of water
80 g (5 and a half tbsp) of plain butter
2 pinches of fine salt
125 g (1 cup) of plain flour
4 medium whole eggs
NOTES
When making the choux pastry do not add all the eggs at once.
To cook the pommes dauphine, use a deep fryer or equivalent with the oil temperature at a steady 160 °C (320 °F)
Instructions
In a pan filled with cold water add the peeled potatoes (cut in half) and add 2 teaspoons of rock salt. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water boils leave the potatoes to cook until tender which usually takes 20 minutes from reaching boiling point.
When the potatoes are done drain the water and place the potatoes on a tray and dry slowly in a preheated oven at 50 °C (122 °F) while you make the choux pastry.
To make the choux pastry, put the water, salt and butter in a pan on a medium heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils add the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms.
Reduce the heat to low and stir the ball of dough in the pan for 2 minutes to dry it a little.
After 2 minutes, turn the heat off and transfer the dough to a large clean bowl.
One by one, add the eggs to the bowl of dough (it is best to beat them first) and stir into the mix until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Keep adding the eggs until you get a mass that is not too compact but not too runny (as shown in the video).
Use a food mill or a potato press to press the potatoes into a mash over the bowl with the choux pastry.
When done season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir the whole lot together vigorously until the choux pastry and mash have blended together.
The temperature of the oil in your deep fryer is important as this is will determine whether the recipe will succeed or fail. Keep the oil temperature between 160 °C and 170 °C at all times (around 320 °F).
To fry the pommes dauphine balls, you can either place the dough into a piping bag and cut chunks the size of a wine cork into the oil, or use a tablespoon to create balls of dough about the size of a walnut.
Fry 3 to 4 puffs at a time to avoid overcrowding the fryer. Cooking takes about 6 minutes until the pommes dauphine balls start to expand into puffs. When done transfer the puffs to a tray covered with kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Best served warm alongside a meat dish with sauce.