Mont Dore gratinated puree, Potato & cheese recipe

Leftover mash? A desire for an ultra-delicious puree, gratinated to perfection by adding just an egg and a little cheese? Here is a super simple anti-waste recipe.

Difference between Mont dore puree and Mont d’or

I’m not talking to you here about AOP Mont d’Or cheese which is, I admit, a pure delight melted and baked in the oven to enjoy with potatoes or a little cold meats.
Do you sometimes do it? I have given you the recipe explaining how to melt and brown your whole mont d’or in the oven.

This recipe is a traditional French recipe not too well known actually, gratinated mousseline puree. Its name comes from its color, its golden appearance once in the oven and therefore has nothing to do with cheese. The spelling is not the same.

How to prepare this gratinated mash?

Anti-waste recipe par excellence, she is ideal for enhancing leftover mashed potatoesbut can absolutely be done entirely and very quickly by precooking a few potatoes,

The ingredients you need are : potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes, egg, grated cheese (your choice of Emmental or Comté for example), a little butter and cream.

To prepare Mont Dore mashed potatoes (or Mont d’Or apples) you need a ratio with for the equivalent of 1 cup of 250 gr of mashed potatoes, mix it with 1 egg and 1 large handful of grated cheese.
And hop to the day until you obtain a pretty golden color and a nicely browned finish.

How to make mashed potatoes?

In this recipe, I go directly to how to brown your leftover mash for an ultra-delicious accompaniment. Here are some tips and common mistakes to avoid to make your homemade puree a success:

Choose the right variety of potatoes : It is recommended to choose a variety with floury flesh rich in starch such as Monalisa, Bintje, Manon, Vitelotte… Charlotte can go, it is sometimes used by certain chefs. Indeed, some varieties of potatoes are sticky and not suitable for mashing.

Do not overload the puree with liquid: You should start with a small amount of liquid, such as milk or cream, and add more if necessary. Hot milk rather than cold milk prevents the puree from freezing and increases its creaminess.

Above all, do not use a hand blender: This would make it sticky and slimy. Use a potato masher or food mill. You can also mash the potatoes with a fork or a manual potato press.
It’s up to you if you prefer a smooth and creamy texture or a more rustic finish with an uneven puree but with more chew. Even make mashed potatoes.
Either way, don’t mix for too long. Just enough so that the ingredients are well incorporated.

Add cold butter. I’m not telling you here to use the astronomical quantity of butter from the legendary mashed potatoes of the late chef Joël Robuchon (who had a ration of 250 gr of butter for 1 kilo of potato). It’s true that the more butter there is, the smoother and more delicious the puree is. My advice is to recommend that you use very cold butter. The contrast with the hot potato will cause the butter to melt slowly and thus be well absorbed.

Don’t forget to season! Mashed potatoes can be bland if not seasoned enough. Salt, pepper, add nutmeg…

I suggest you check out my recipe for all-purple mash which uses vitelotte variety potatoes as well as my potato mash with porcini mushrooms, a less pretty color, I admit, but which is perfect for a holiday meal.