The retro piped potatoes making a massive comeback

Garlic butter potatoes fit for a Duchess.

Garlic butter duchess potatoes recipe

Baked, mashed, roasted or fried, potatoes have repeatedly proven to us that they may just be the most elite vegetable to exist. However, just as we thought that our love for the spud had reached maximum capacity, we put our own spin on a retro carby classic; duchess potatoes. And if you know us here at taste, we like to do classics a little differently… and by ‘differently’, we mean with a LOT of garlic butter.

The garlic butter twist that duchess potatoes never knew they needed

Perfectly piped morsels of golden mash, duchess potatoes may look super fancy, but don’t be fooled… they’ll set you back just 35 minutes. Our variation of the classic French appetiser features a creamy and velvety inside and a gorgeous sun-kissed exterior, with a generous dousing of garlic butter on top. We may or may not have just added it to our Christmas lunch menu (yes, we know it’s not Christmas yet, but you can never be too prepared!)

Garlic-butter-duchess-potatoes-recipe

So, what are duchess potatoes?

A fancy take on a dinner classic, duchess potatoes are simply mashed potatoes mixed with egg yolks, butter and other seasonings, and then piped and baked to golden perfection. We told you, although they might look impressive, they’re actually quite simple to make!

Where did duchess potatoes originate?

Originating from France, the first known recipe for duchess potatoes was published sometime in the mid 1700s. Interestingly, according to Simply Recipes, “around that time, potatoes were illegal in France, since they were believed to cause leprosy and death. When they became legal again, pommes de terre (“earth apples” in French) were fashionable, and duchess potatoes were served to foreign dignitaries.” However, it’s still unknown how they scored the title ‘duchess’, although they do look like they could be served at a royal occasion.

Why do you put an egg yolk in duchess potatoes?

Great at achieving a velvet-like consistency, egg yolks are added to duchess potatoes to act as an emulsifier; that’s what helps create the creamy, smooth interior! Egg yolks won’t make the potatoes taste eggy, but they will provide a richness in taste, and a yellow tinge in colour.

Have you met our French onion twist on the starchy classic?

If you’re not a fan of garlic butter (we promise we’re not judging…. or are we?), we’ve also created a French onion version of the duchess potatoes, using just four ingredients; a packet of soup mix included! 

Muffin pan French onion duchess potatoes

Originally published as The retro piped potatoes making a massive comeback