It’s certainly not an everyday mash, so save it for special occasions to serve alongside grand centrepieces!
Paris Mash was made famous in Australia by Guillaume Brahimi, one of our country’s top French chefs. His Paris Mash is 25% butter, and it’s so rich, I could only get through a few spoonfuls… And that’s saying something for this Potato Monster!!
What is Paris Mash?
Just as Prime Rib is the king of all roasts, and Carnitas rule all tacos, Paris Mash is the mother of all mashed potatoes! Legendary French chef Joël Robuchon is credited with the original creation of this mash, his simple but decadent pommes puree (“pureed potatoes”) becoming his signature dish at his many restaurants. It’s since spread far and wide, and you’ll find it on the menu of upmarket steakhouses and French restaurants around the world. Chef Guillaume Brahimi, one of Robuchon’s protégés, popularised the dish here in Australia, fittingly coining it Paris Mash! Paris Mash is not like your typical mashed potato you make at home. It’s smooth, soft and creamy with a consistency almost like softly whipped cream rather than thick and pasty like regular mashed potato which holds its shape when you spoon it onto plates. It’s made with alot of butter, and many chefs use cream as well. Sometimes as much as 40% butter and cream to 60% potato! 😱😱😱 This home style version I’m sharing today is not quite as indulgent – but certainly still very rich!
How to make Paris Mash at home
There are a few techniques that make Paris Mash different to other mash:
Cook the potatoes whole – optional! This is how chefs do it – because it stops the potatoes from becoming waterlogged so you get a more intense potato flavour. But it does require a bit of a juggling act to peel the potatoes while hot! Potato ricer, grinder or masher – I use a potato ricer which is an easy way to make smooth mashed potato. If you don’t have one, just use a handheld masher. Tip: Potato mashers with round holes work the best because they mimic the effect of a potato ricer; Double sieve – To achieve a perfectly smooth Paris Mash the way it’s made in restaurants requires a lot of effort. After the first mash using a ricer or grinder, the potato is then pushed through a fine drum sieve.This requires serious effort – both time and strength! We have a drum sieve floating around in the RecipeTin Family and I’ve used it once for Paris Mash – and I’m not sure if I ever will again!In the absence of a team of sous chefs to sieve the potato for me, I skip the double sieve and accept that mine is not quite as smooth as restaurant versions – and that’s totally ok. While you might notice the lumps if you eat plain spoonfuls of the mash, once it’s on the plate and you’re eating it with steak or whatever you’re serving it with, you don’t even notice the minor imperfections.
How to make Paris Mash (cont’d)
Dry out potato over low heat – once the potato is mashed, stir it over low heat to steam out any residual water which will intensify the potato flavour and start the process of making it really creamy; Cold butter – stir in cold diced butter a few at a time. The reason we use cold butter rather than soft or melted butter is because the butter melts as a whole so you get a more even distribution of the fat and milk solids throughout the potato. It makes the texture more luscious and enhances the intensely buttery flavour; How much butter?? I use 150g/5 oz for 1 kg / 2 lb of potato if I’m being a bit sensible. But if I’m really going all out, I use 200g/7 oz. Hey – I never said this was healthy! 😂 Milk not cream! While many restaurants use cream in their Paris Mash, I adopt Guillaume Brahimi’s method of using milk instead because sometimes, the flavour of the cream can overwhelm. I prefer the pure unadulterated flavour of just potato and butter; Stir with a wooden spoon for a creamy-yet-fluffy Paris Mash, the way it’s is supposed to be! DO NOT use a food processor blender – this activates the starch and makes the mashed potato gluey (it’s inedible, I made that mistake in my youth!); DO NOT use a stand mixer or electric beater – again, this activates the starch and while it doesn’t become gluey, it does make the mash more dense-creamy rather than lightly-creamy which is the way Paris Mash is supposed to be.
And there we have it. Paris Mash, made at home. Certainly not your usual mash. Save this one for special occasions to serve alongside grand centrepieces like Prime Rib and slow Roasted Pork with impossibly crispy crackling, a juicy Roast Turkey or thick steakhouse-style steaks smothered with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce!! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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