Dauphine potatoes with Emmenthal

Not to be confused with Potato Dauphinoise – the more familiar, classic potato bake – these potato croquettes have a light choux pastry base. Appetising and flavoursome, they are particularly good served with my grilled halibut steak with Parmesan and ginger hollandaise.

SERVES 4–6

400g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward

About 1.5 litres grapeseed oil, for deep-frying

For the choux pastry

70ml milk

70ml water

50g butter, cut into dice

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

A pinch of sea salt

3 turns of the pepper mill

100g plain flour

2 medium eggs

50g Emmenthal (or Comté), finely grated

First make the choux paste. Put the milk, water, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper into a saucepan and place over a low heat. Bring to the boil then immediately take the pan off the heat and shower in the flour, mixing as you do so with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Return the pan to a medium heat and stir for a minute or so to dry the paste, then tip it into a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then mix in the cheese. The paste should be smooth and shiny. Cover with cling film; set aside.

Peel the potatoes and wash in cold water, then place in a saucepan and cover with lightly salted cold water. Bring to the boil and cook over a medium heat until tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Drain well and pass through a potato ricer or fine sieve into a bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside.

Once the potato is at roughly the same temperature as the choux pastry (ideally just warm), weigh the choux and mix an equal weight of potato into it. This can be done using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand with a wooden spoon. The resulting mixture must be perfectly homogeneous and smooth, without any trace of unmixed potato or choux.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C. Using 2 teaspoons or dessertspoons, shape 18–24 quenelles from the mixture, placing them on a sheet of very lightly oiled greaseproof paper.

You will need to cook in batches, One by one, lower 6–8 quenelles into the hot oil, using a small palette knife. After 2–3 minutes, when they have taken on a light brown colour and float up to the surface, remove using a skimmer, and place on kitchen paper to drain well for a minute. Repeat with the remaining quenelles.

Pile the dauphine potatoes into a warmed dish and serve at once.