Pommes Aligot
Silky, stretchy mashed potatoes infused with garlic, bay leaf, and sage, then folded with Gruyère until they pull like molten cheese. A rustic French comfort classic with a touch of elegance. Inspired by Coco Larkin
11/2/20251 min read
Ingredients
2 lb (about 900 g) Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 cloves whole garlic
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp poultry seasoning (or a few fresh sage leaves, if you have them)
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese (or half Gruyère, half Comté for extra stretch)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Boil the potatoes.
Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until very tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain well.
Make the infused cream.
While the potatoes cook, combine the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves, butter, and poultry seasoning in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat until the butter melts and the mixture just starts to boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain and discard the aromatics.
Rice and strain.
Rice the hot potatoes back into the pot or into a large bowl. If you want that ultra-silky texture, push them once through a fine-mesh strainer or tamis.
Combine.
Pour the warm infused cream over the potatoes. Add a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir slowly until smooth and glossy.
Add the cheese.
Add the Gruyère by the handful, stirring over very low heat until the cheese melts and the potatoes become elastic and luscious—the spoon should pull up in ribbons.
Serve.
Spoon into a warm dish. The texture should be part mashed potato, part molten cheese pull. Serve immediately—aligot waits for no one.
Enjoy!