Recipe: Pommes Arigot (cheesy mashed potatoes)

Garlic Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Aligot is a French dish which is a hearty and comforting meal. I would quite happily live on these cheesy mashed potatoes.  A speciality of the Auvergne region and generally served on special occasions. This is the best-mashed potatoes you will ever have.  Smooth mash, garlic, cream and cheese, imagine having this mash all the time

Traditionally the dish is made with Tomme de Laguiole or Tomme d’Auvergne cheese.  I used Rainton Tomme from The Ethical Dairy.  Instead of Tomme, you could use Mozzarella. Serve the dish alongside sausages or roasted meats such as pork or duck.

A bit of elbow grease is needed with this dish.  I used a food mill on its finest setting to get a good smooth paste.  There’s no need to worry about overworking the mix, the more you mix it, the better it gets.  Mix as much as you can for a gooey, smooth and cheesy mash.

Recipe: Pommes Arigot (cheesy mashed potatoes)

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Ingredients

  

• 4 medium potatoes about 2 pounds, peeled and quartered
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 240 ml double cream warmed
• 500 g Rainton Tomme cheese or any Tomme cheese, Alpine style cheese and cut into ½-inch cubes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Put the potatoes in a medium pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches and bring a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced. 
• Then drain.
• Immediately pass the potatoes through a food mill or ricer.
• Return to the pot.
• Set the pot over low heat and stir in the garlic, butter, cream and about half of the cheese.
• Once the cheese has melted, stir in the remaining cheese.
• Continue stirring until the potatoes can be stretched with a spoon like melted mozzarella.
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper.