Pommes Dauphine

  1. Combine the potatoes and coarse sea salt in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender all the way through when tested with a knife.
  3. Drain and let stand until just cool enough to handle.
  4. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a food mill; this will yield about 2 cups of potatoes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  6. Line a medium baking dish with parchment paper.
  7. Spread the potatoes in the dish and bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, to evaporate some of their moisture.
  8. Prepare the pate-a-choux: combine the butter, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan.
  9. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
  10. Remove from heat, add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
  11. Return to low heat and stir for 1 minute, until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  12. Stir for 3 more minutes to evaporate some of the moisture.
  13. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and let cool for 2 minutes.
  14. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat 1 egg lightly with a fork.
  15. Set aside.
  16. Add the second egg to the potato mixture and stir with a spatula until well blended.
  17. Stir in the beaten egg, tablespoon by tablespoon, just enough to make the pate-a-choux smooth, shiny and elastic; the entire egg may not be needed.
  18. Add the potatoes to the pate-a-choux, season with pepper and beat with a spatula to combine.
  19. (To store for up to 8 hours, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover and refrigerate.)
  20. Heat 4 inches of oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan until a candy thermometer registers 320 to 340 degrees.
  21. Line a medium baking dish with a double layer of paper towels.
  22. The first pomme dauphine will be a test of the seasoning and the oil temperature.
  23. Using 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, shape a 1-inch ball and drop it into the oil.
  24. It should fall to the bottom and bob up after a few seconds.
  25. (If it doesn't, the oil isn't hot enough.)
  26. Fry until puffy, golden and crisp, about 3 minutes, flipping it from time to time with a mesh skimmer.
  27. Remove from the oil with the skimmer, transfer to the prepared dish and season with a pinch of salt.
  28. Shake the dish lightly so the paper towels absorb excess oil.
  29. Let cool for a minute, taste and adjust the seasoning of the potato mixture accordingly.
  30. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, frying the pommes in batches of 3 or 4 and stirring them gently with a skimmer so they will not stick to each other.
  31. Keep warm in a 300-degree oven until all the batter is used.
  32. Serve immediately.

gold, salt, unsalted butter, salt, flour, eggs, freshly ground black pepper, vegetable oil

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11273 (may not work)

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