Duchess Potatoes

Rich, creamy duchess potatoes whose slightly dry texture pairs wonderfully with Lamb Cutlets Fried in Butter and its lemon-butter sauce as shown here

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City/Region: France

Time Period: 1903

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The recipes for the food served aboard the Orient Express were largely from Auguste Escoffier and were prepared by top French chefs. This recipe comes from Escoffier’s book Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, right in the middle of the Orient Express’s first golden age.

These potatoes are firmer and somewhat drier than modern mashed potatoes, but they are also richer and creamier. The texture is so soft and smooth, and the flavor of the butter really comes through. Since they are drier, I highly recommend serving them with the lemon-butter sauce from the Lamb Cutlets Fried in Butter.

“Pommes de Terre Duchesse
Prepare a potato croquette mixture and mould into the form of small Brioche à Tête, bread rolls or flat cakes; or pipe out with a piping bag and star tube on to a buttered tray.
Brush with beaten egg and place in a hot oven to colour, some 7-8 minutes before serving.”

— Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier, 1903

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Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs (1 kg) russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus about 1 tablespoon for boiling the potatoes
• 7 tablespoons (100 g) butter
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (55 g) butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Chop the potatoes into 1 inch (3 cm) pieces. Put them in a large pot and add enough water to cover them and add the 1 tablespoon of salt. Give it a stir and bring to a boil. Let them boil for about 10 minutes. There should still be some resistance when you pierce the potatoes with the tip of a knife.
2. While the potatoes boil, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
3. Drain the potatoes and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re very soft.
4. Once the potatoes are soft, take them out of the oven and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to pass them through a strainer. This can take quite a while, and you might start to think that it won't work, but it will. You can use a ricer, which will be faster, but the potatoes won’t be quite as creamy.
5. Put the potatoes, the 7 tablespoons of butter, the 2 teaspoons of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg in a pot. Put it over low heat and stir everything in until the butter is melted and all the seasonings are evenly distributed. Take the pot off the heat.
6. Let the potatoes cool until they’re just warm, a little above room temperature. If they’re too hot, they’ll scramble the eggs. Beat the whole egg and the egg yolks together until combined, then add them to the potatoes. Stir until fully incorporated.
7. Shape the potatoes however you would like and place them on a lined baking sheet. I made mine fancy by piping large mounds straight onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a star tip. This recipe should make 6 to 10 potato mounds, depending on how big you want them. Put the baking sheet, uncovered, in the fridge for 1 hour to let the piped potatoes firm up.
8. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
9. After the potatoes have chilled, brush them with the melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until they’re nicely browned.
10. Serve them forth with Lamb Cutlets Fried in Butter for a meal on the Orient Express.

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