Garlic Parmesan Duchess Potatoes

close up shot of parmesan garlic duchess potato on baking sheet garnished with parsley and parmesan

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Here I'll show you THE most delicious way to make Duchess Potatoes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Servings: duchess potatoes

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £1 / $1

Equipment

Sharp Knife, Chopping Board & Potato Peeler
Foil (for roasting garlic)
Large Pot & Colander (for potatoes)
Potato Masher & Wooden Spoon (for mash)
Fine Cheese Grater (for parmesan)
Piping Bag & Large Star Tip (for duchess potatoes)
Large Baking Tray & Baking Paper (for baking potatoes)
Brush or Spoon (to pour butter over duchess potatoes)

Ingredients

1 large bulb of Garlic
1.3kg / 2.8lb Baking Potatoes
5 tbsp / 75g Butter, 2 tbsp/30g melted, the rest left at room temp
2 tbsp Double / Heavy Cream, at room temp
60g / 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
4 large Egg Yolks
finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve
Olive Oil, as needed
Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions

Slice the tip off the garlic bulb to expose the cloves and drizzle with oil. Wrap in foil then place in the oven at 180C/356F for 50-60mins, or until very soft, golden and caramelised. Leave to cool for a few mins, then squeeze out as much as you can, making sure the outer peel doesn't mix in. Sprinkle over a pinch of salt then mash with a fork to smooth out any lumpy parts. Increase oven temp to 200C/400F.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes into large bite-sized pieces. Add to a large pot of cold water with 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender (they should just about break apart when stabbed). Drain and leave in the colander for 5 minutes to steam dry, shaking once halfway.
Add the potatoes to the pot and mash with 3 tbsp / 45g butter alongside the cream. Stir in the parmesan and roasted garlic, mashing a little more to smooth out any lumps if needed. Generously season with salt and pepper (to taste). If the mash is still aggressively steaming just leave it to cool for a few mins, then one by one firmly stir in the egg yolks until well blended.
Spoon the mash into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (you'll need to work in batches). Pipe the mash into swirly dome shapes on a large baking tray with baking paper. They should be around 2.5-3"/6.5-7.5cm wide/high and you should get 10 from the mix.
Carefully drip butter over the tops (it should swirl down and coat the potatoes) then bake in the oven for 15-20mins, or until golden brown. Be vigilant as they can char quickly and turn the tray around if one side is cooking more than the other. Lower temp slightly if they start charring quickly.
Serve with parsley and more parmesan and then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Boiling the potatoes - Be sure not to over-boil the potatoes, otherwise they'll soak in too much water and the mash will be too sloppy to form the duchess potatoes.

b) Steam dry - Leaving the cooked potatoes to steam for 5 minutes is important to always some excess moisture to escape. Don't skip this step.

c) Seasoning - Make sure you generously season AFTER adding the parmesan, just so you can get a real taste for how salty it is and how much more it needs. Nobody likes bland mash, so ensure you season appropriately!

d) Star tip - The star tip needs to be one of the large/jumbo ones. If it's too small you'll struggle to get the mash to pass through to form the duchess potatoes.

e) Make Ahead - I recommend fully making them, allowing them to cool then storing in the freezer. From there, you can bake from frozen at 180C/350F for about 12-15mins, or until crisp on the outside and piping hot right through the centre.

f) Calories - Per potato assuming 1 tsp olive oil for roasting garlic.

Nutrition