When I saw that Jen had challenged us to work with potatoes this month for Kitchen Bootcamp, I knew immediately what I wanted to make. Lately, I have been craving little golden baked puffs of potato-ey perfection – I was reading a vintage cookbook and came across a picture and it brought me back to the 1970s dinner parties my mum and dad used to throw with all sorts of fancy eats like Duchess Potatoes. Chapter 26 of The Professional Chef does, indeed include instructions for these but I felt I might modernise them a little by making flattened discs of potato rather than fancy schmancy piped out ones. They didn’t exactly come out as elegant as I had hoped so I dubbed them “Baroness” potatoes – a Baroness being the lowest rank of nobility at the opposite end of the scale from the Duchess.
A rustic version of the classic Duchess potato."Baroness" potatoes (aka the poor cousin of the Duchess)
Ingredients
Instructions
Result?
Yeah ok – these were pretty rustic looking but I actually really liked the taste. Hot out of the oven they were crispy on the outside and light fluffy on the inside. The only thing is, they didn’t re-heat so well so if you make them, plan on eating them all 😉 I’ll definitely make these again because I loved their clumsy elegance. Sometimes, you know, there’s no place for a Duchess at the dinner table.
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Mardi’s critique was spot on: I was greeted by these (with sous-vide salmon, I’m sure you’ll be hearing about that soon…) fresh off a flight from Chicago.
Tasty, but on the re-heat the Baroness seemed to lose all nobility, and I think had moved Downstairs. No crispy-ness, a little flat and mushy.
Yeah, they were much better freshly cooked!
I have fond memories of duchess potatoes from my parents’ dinner parties too. I love how the piped edges would get all browned and crisp, but they really are a lot of work… so this slightly less fancy version sounds like it’s right up my alley. 🙂
(Also, I’m pretty sure I’d have no trouble polishing off a whole batch on my own, especially if I know they don’t reheat well!)
Less fancy is always a good thing!
I love duchess potatoes. We made them in a cooking class up in Maine not too long ago. I loved them, and always say I’ll make them at home, but the piping just tires me out, its something I’ve never been great at. I’ll go rustic any day!
Rustic all the way!
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside is my kind of potato! Love this recipe and will be trying it soon.
It’s definitely a winner – but you must eat it right away!
Don’t worry Mardi… you still have significant leeway down the social scale. Who knows, “serf potatoes” could eventually emerge from your kitchen. With the pic, you could almost smell them. They would not have lasted long with me.
I think they already have them in England, Geoff – “tater totters”, I believe….
Tater tots…
Goodness – I wonder what I could make for “serf” potatoes!
Wow… Mardi these look amazing! I actually think I like the Baroness version much better than the fancier Duchess recipe… And, I even have a thing for piping food into pretty patterns! You can bet that Darron and I will be dining on these very soon. Yum 🙂
And, as always… Thanks so much for participating in this month’s Kitchen Bootcamp challenge!
I love KB ever month – thanks for hosting!
These look delicious! And everyone loves a potato recipe 🙂
But of course!
Haha, these are cute. They somewhat remind me of croquettes–although, baked (and a lot healthier for it too!) Well, any potato product dipped in ketchup is perfect in my book.
I couldn’t agree more!
He he… I love the name 🙂 Poor cousin, maybe, but looks & sounds really yummy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes it’s all about the taste for sure!
I made these tonight and they were so yummy. Mine came out too sticky to flatten, but they didn’t need flattening. It’s probably because I used a food processor to mash them so the consistency was probably different. My husband and 4 year old loved them too. Thanks for sharing the recipe (found it on pinterest).
These were absolutely amazing! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed!