Pommes Dauphine

Ingredients

• 1 pound Yukon gold or other baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• Fine sea salt
• ½ cup flour, sifted
• 2 medium eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    469 calories; 35 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 6 grams protein; 104 milligrams cholesterol; 814 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 4 to 6

Preparation

1. Combine the potatoes and coarse sea salt in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender all the way through when tested with a knife. Drain and let stand until just cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a food mill; this will yield about 2 cups of potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a medium baking dish with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes in the dish and bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, to evaporate some of their moisture.
3. Prepare the pâte-à-choux: combine the butter, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Return to low heat and stir for 1 minute, until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Stir for 3 more minutes to evaporate some of the moisture.
4. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and let cool for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat 1 egg lightly with a fork. Set aside. Add the second egg to the potato mixture and stir with a spatula until well blended. Stir in the beaten egg, tablespoon by tablespoon, just enough to make the pâte-à-choux smooth, shiny and elastic; the entire egg may not be needed.
5. Add the potatoes to the pâte-à-choux, season with pepper and beat with a spatula to combine. (To store for up to 8 hours, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover and refrigerate.)
6. Heat 4 inches of oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan until a candy thermometer registers 320 to 340 degrees. Line a medium baking dish with a double layer of paper towels. The first pomme dauphine will be a test of the seasoning and the oil temperature. Using 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, shape a 1-inch ball and drop it into the oil. It should fall to the bottom and bob up after a few seconds. (If it doesn’t, the oil isn’t hot enough.)
7. Fry until puffy, golden and crisp, about 3 minutes, flipping it from time to time with a mesh skimmer. Remove from the oil with the skimmer, transfer to the prepared dish and season with a pinch of salt. Shake the dish lightly so the paper towels absorb excess oil. Let cool for a minute, taste and adjust the seasoning of the potato mixture accordingly.
8. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, frying the pommes in batches of 3 or 4 and stirring them gently with a skimmer so they will not stick to each other. Keep warm in a 300-degree oven until all the batter is used. Serve immediately.

About 1 hour