Classic French Aligot
A classic aligot has creamy potatoes whipped up with crème fraîche, and Cantal cheese is a classic of the French kitchen and delicious with steak.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 2pounds mashing potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
- ¾teaspoon salt
- ⅛teaspoon white pepper (ground)
- 4tablespoons butter
- ¼cup crème fraîche (or substitute equal parts sour cream and heavy cream)
- 1clove garlic (lightly crushed, but kept intact)
- 3cups Cantal cheese (or substitute good-quality sharp cheddar, grated)
Instructions
Step 1
Gather the ingredients.Step 2
Place the potato quarters into a pan of cold, lightly salted water.Step 3
Boil for 20 minutes, until they are tender. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't start to break up and become mealy.Step 4
Once cooked, drain them in a colander .Step 5
Mash the drained potatoes with a masher.Step 6
Add the salt, white pepper, and butter, and then vigorously mix for 2 to 3 minutes until the potatoes fluff up a bit. Set them aside in the pan for a moment.Step 7
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, bring the crème fraîche and garlic to just steaming. Do not boil, or the creme fraîche may break.Step 8
Remove the garlic, and pour the hot crème fraîche into the mashed potatoes.Step 9
Transfer the pan of potatoes to the stovetop over low heat; using a sturdy wooden spoon, beat the crème fraîche into the potatoes. By now, the potatoes will start to turn glossy.Step 10
Raise the heat to be medium, and beat in the cheese, 1/2 cup at a time.Step 11
Continue beating the mixture over the heat until it forms a smooth, velvety texture, about 10 minutes. Do not skimp on this process. It is the sturdy beating that makes aligot so deliciously velvety.Step 12
Pour onto warm plates and serve immediately.