Aligot (French Cheese Mashed Potatoes)

The stretchy potato purée of the Aubrac: potatoes riced with butter and garlic, then worked with cream and grated cheese until it pulls into long ribbons.

Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is part of the collection’s French batch and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds (675 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves, 1 whole and 1 minced
• Kosher salt, as needed for the cooking water and to finish
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115 g) unsalted butter, in tablespoon pieces
• 1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream, plus more if needed
• 10 ounces (300 g) mixed Alpine cheeses (Swiss, Gruyère, Comté and/or Fontina), grated

Directions

Key ingredients

Salt

1. Cover the potatoes, thyme and whole garlic clove with cold salted water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low until a knife meets no resistance, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the thyme.
2. Rice or food-mill the potatoes back into the dried pan, working in the butter. Add the minced garlic and stir over medium-low heat with a silicone spatula until combined.
3. Add the cream in three parts, working each in; keep stirring (lower the heat if it sizzles) until thick and sticky, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the cheese in small batches, stirring until each melts, and keep working until thick, silky and elastic, about 3 minutes more; it should pull into long strands.
5. Season with salt. It should flow very slowly; loosen with cream if too thick. Serve at once, traditionally with sausages.

Notes

Source Adapted from Daniel Gritzer, “Pommes Aligot,” Serious Eats.

The cheese Aligot comes from the Aubrac, a once-volcanic region of south-central France, and is made there with tome fraîche, a young unripened curd. It is hard to find outside France, which is why this version uses Alpine cheeses. Reheat leftovers with a little simmering cream.

The photo The photograph shows a bowl of aligot served with sausage.