French Mashed Potatoes (Pommes Purée)

Creamier, butterier and more lavish than American mashed potatoes, pommes purée are arguably more at home alongside coq au van than, say, meatloaf. The process typically is laborious, but during a visit to L’Office, a bistro in Paris, we learned a better way from chef Julia Totzauer. She bakes whole potatoes on a bed of salt, sieves them while hot, dries them in a saucepan, then whisks in hot milk followed by cold butter. Her technique breaks common mashed-potato rules (melted butter before milk, mix only minimally), yet her pommes purée was supple and luscious yet light. We simplified her technique, and the results are almost as good. You will need a ricer—a potato masher won’t produce a perfectly smooth texture. Use russet potatoes, and look for moderately sized ones, about 8 ounces each. (Larger potatoes brown too much outside before the inside is tender.) Instead of directly salting the puree, Totzauer dissolves the salt in the milk for even distribution. We also infuse the milk with white pepper, but strain it to remove any gritty bits. To make in advance, after adding the butter, cool, cover and refrigerate up to three days. To serve, warm in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring with a silicone spatula, until bubbles break the surface, about 10 minutes. No additional milk or butter is needed. Serve in a warm bowl or dish.