This is an ultra-creamy mashed potato as served at top tier restaurants and good steakhouses. It’s called Paris Mash, and it’s got a soft, almost pourable texture, it’s creamy yet fluffy, and it’s unapologetically rich.
It’s certainly not an everyday mash, so save it for special occasions to serve alongside grand centrepieces!
Paris Mash was made famous in Australia by Guillaume Brahimi, one of our country’s top French chefs. His Paris Mash is 25% butter, and it’s so rich, I could only get through a few spoonfuls… And that’s saying something for this Potato Monster!!
What is Paris Mash?
Just as Prime Rib is the king of all roasts, and Carnitas rule all tacos, Paris Mash is the mother of all mashed potatoes!
Legendary French chef Joël Robuchon is credited with the original creation of this mash, his simple but decadent pommes puree (“pureed potatoes”) becoming his signature dish at his many restaurants. It’s since spread far and wide, and you’ll find it on the menu of upmarket steakhouses and French restaurants around the world. Chef Guillaume Brahimi, one of Robuchon’s protégés, popularised the dish here in Australia, fittingly coining it Paris Mash!
Paris Mash is not like your typical mashed potato you make at home. It’s smooth, soft and creamy with a consistency almost like softly whipped cream rather than thick and pasty like regular mashed potato which holds its shape when you spoon it onto plates.
It’s made with alot of butter, and many chefs use cream as well. Sometimes as much as 40% butter and cream to 60% potato! 😱😱😱
This home style version I’m sharing today is not quite as indulgent – but certainly still very rich!
How to make Paris Mash at home
There are a few techniques that make Paris Mash different to other mash:
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Cook the potatoes whole – optional! This is how chefs do it – because it stops the potatoes from becoming waterlogged so you get a more intense potato flavour. But it does require a bit of a juggling act to peel the potatoes while hot!
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Potato ricer, grinder or masher – I use a potato ricer which is an easy way to make smooth mashed potato. If you don’t have one, just use a handheld masher. Tip: Potato mashers with round holes work the best because they mimic the effect of a potato ricer;
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Double sieve – To achieve a perfectly smooth Paris Mash the way it’s made in restaurants requires a lot of effort. After the first mash using a ricer or grinder, the potato is then pushed through a fine drum sieve.This requires serious effort – both time and strength! We have a drum sieve floating around in the RecipeTin Family and I’ve used it once for Paris Mash – and I’m not sure if I ever will again!In the absence of a team of sous chefs to sieve the potato for me, I skip the double sieve and accept that mine is not quite as smooth as restaurant versions – and that’s totally ok. While you might notice the lumps if you eat plain spoonfuls of the mash, once it’s on the plate and you’re eating it with steak or whatever you’re serving it with, you don’t even notice the minor imperfections.
How to make Paris Mash (cont’d)
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Dry out potato over low heat – once the potato is mashed, stir it over low heat to steam out any residual water which will intensify the potato flavour and start the process of making it really creamy;
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Cold butter – stir in cold diced butter a few at a time. The reason we use cold butter rather than soft or melted butter is because the butter melts as a whole so you get a more even distribution of the fat and milk solids throughout the potato. It makes the texture more luscious and enhances the intensely buttery flavour;
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How much butter?? I use 150g/5 oz for 1 kg / 2 lb of potato if I’m being a bit sensible. But if I’m really going all out, I use 200g/7 oz. Hey – I never said this was healthy! 😂
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Milk not cream! While many restaurants use cream in their Paris Mash, I adopt Guillaume Brahimi’s method of using milk instead because sometimes, the flavour of the cream can overwhelm. I prefer the pure unadulterated flavour of just potato and butter;
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Stir with a wooden spoon for a creamy-yet-fluffy Paris Mash, the way it’s is supposed to be!
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DO NOT use a food processor blender – this activates the starch and makes the mashed potato gluey (it’s inedible, I made that mistake in my youth!);
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DO NOT use a stand mixer or electric beater – again, this activates the starch and while it doesn’t become gluey, it does make the mash more dense-creamy rather than lightly-creamy which is the way Paris Mash is supposed to be.
And there we have it. Paris Mash, made at home.
Certainly not your usual mash. Save this one for special occasions to serve alongside grand centrepieces like Prime Rib and slow Roasted Pork with impossibly crispy crackling, a juicy Roast Turkey or thick steakhouse-style steaks smothered with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce!! – Nagi x
Suggestions for mains worthy of Paris Mash!
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Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib) (pictured below)
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Slow Roasted Pork with perfect crackling – or any other roast
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A juicy steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce or Mushroom Sauce
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A juicy whole Roast Turkey – or any of these turkey recipes!
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Fall-apart Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce or Port Braised Lamb Shanks
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Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks in Red Wine Sauce
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Paris Mash (Rich & Creamy Mashed Potato)
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb Dutch Cream, Desiree, Yukon Gold or Maris Piper potatoes (Note 1)
- 150 - 200 g / 5 - 7 oz cold unsalted butter , cut into 1.5cm / 1/2" cubes (Note 2)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup (125 - 185ml) milk , warmed (Note 3)
- Salt
Garnish:
- Softened butter
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes clean.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are very soft (depends on size).
- Alternatively, peel then chop into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (Note 4), cook 12 to 15 minutes until soft.
- Drain potatoes and return empty pot to stove.
- Using tea towels to handle the hot potatoes, peel them using a small knife (skin should slide off pretty easily).
- Mash the potatoes using one of these methods: Press them through a potato ricer or a food mill / grinder fitted with the finest disc, or mash in the pot using a potato masher (preferably with round holes, yields a similar result to potato ricer).
- Pro step: Then pass the potato through a drum sieve for 100% smooth mashed potato, like you get at restaurants. I do not do this (read in post)
- Turn stove on low and stir mashed potato for 1 minute (evaporate excess water).
- Add a few cubes of butter and a little splash of milk. Stir until butter melts and is incorporated.
- Repeat until all butter is used up, using milk to adjust the consistency to your desired taste towards the end. It should be soft and creamy, almost pourable.
- Season to taste with salt.
- Pour into serving bowl. Use a spoon to create swirls on the surface, top with small dollop of butter and a tiny sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
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Mmm, yep, great. But switch it up. Either with a couple of raw garlic cloves thrown in with the potatoes when boiling or even better, roast the garlic whole and squeeze it in when mashing, never put it in raw, the result is quite bitter. Nothing better than garlic mash. And yes, must be pushed through a mill or ricer. Sublime!
Desiree are great, but royal blues are my favourite for this and also baked.
I peel, cut to even sizes and steam them so as to not take up water. This is in a stainless steel uncoated pan because it will keep the heat and not be damaged at the final step.
I prefer a ricer because it is quicker and easier to clean. My wife prefers a food mill because it is quicker and easier to clean!?
I warm the butter so as to not lose heat, the whipping with a fork incorporates it perfectly well. Keep whipping while adding warmed milk a small amount at a time until just prior to saturation and collapse.
Thank you for your knowledgeable and no nonsense lessons.
Hi Nagi,
I am learning how to cook with fresh ingredients/cook from scratch from you!
I just wanted to ask, instead of adding salt to flavour, is it possible to use salted butter instead of the unsalted butter?
Don’t have a ricer, but do have a Foley Food Mill. Will that work just as well? Your personality and explanations are a dream come true. Dozer info, a bonus.
Me and my food Mill will be eating fabulous Nagi Paris or perhaps right in between both mashed potato recipes. If only you were in Illinois. I would cook for you but I would hardly eat a thing as it would take away time talking to you. Delicious by itself. Love your Lava Chocolate Cake. It definitely took a few times to get a feel for how the top should be for the cake and particularly the gnash to flow. Not saying it was perfect, but darn close. It’s truly heavenly. Your “Notes” section is a terrific asset to a recipe cooked for the first time, turning out to be wonderful meal. Thanks for being you, Natalie
Hi Natalie – yes a food mill is an even better solution than a ricer – it’s what they use in restaurants. We have a huge one at the RecipeTin Meals kitchen for making shepherd’s pie at scale! N x
So simple, yet delicious. Thanks Nagi. I made this last night and added white truffle oil on the top – amazing!
I’ve done something like this for years but never cooked the potato whole like that. The one thing I do that is different is to also toss in some powdered milk. It helps soak up any of the excess water.
Hi Nagi. I use a ricer but find if I put chunks of hot spud, skin side up into the ricer 9 times out of 10 the skins stick to the plunger forming a block which can be thrown away as one lump. And voilà no burnt fingers.
Hi Rick, yes you can do this – although I find you lose a lot of potato flesh this way unfortunately! N x
Hi Nagi. As someone who hates food waste I have been known to fry up that mass of potato skins in lard with bacon. A fattening treat
My grandmother taught me to always heat the milk before adding to the potatoes. She said hot milk breaks down the starch in potatoes to give a creamier result.
This one is beyond creamy Amy – and if you see the ingredients, I do mention warmed milk 🙂 N x
If you use a ricer to process the potatoes just cut them in half and place them in the ricer. Beats having to peel hot potatoes
Reading up on your Paris Potatoes, you talked about using a Rice Masher, or just using a small potato masher. In the past, I have used a food processor. I’ve found this very easy, very quick with similar results each time. Your thoughts on this please. I find your method of cooking very enjoyable and tried many of your recipes.
She mentions this in her other creamy mashed potato recipes… Using a food processor or handheld mixer can make the potatoes gluey, which is why she recommends a ricer or handmashing.
Hi !
If you Sous Vide the Potatoes you will get a LOT more Potato
flavour and no water…, also use the best Potatoes you can find !
Cheers, Chris
I tried to make these for Christmas dinner, since the stores were closed, I only had russets and no masher or ricer, so I just shoved them through a strainer but since I had starchy taters (I’m guessing) they were gluey. They did however make great potato pancakes for breakfast!! My take away:
No matter how bad you want something, if you don’t have the right equipment/ingredients, you shouldn’t make it!
I’ll be trying again, hopefully it’ll be “Instagram-able” lol
Hi Nagi, is there any portion of this that can be made in advance?
OMG, I have to stop reading and watching your videos in the morning because I get so damn hungry 😉
Love your recipes, simple, easy and so damn good!
Thank you,
Steve
Made tonight with the beef short ribs in red wine sauce, and it was sensational! I’ve always been one to load copious amounts of butter into my mash, but the best part for me was popping the potatoes back on the heat after mashing- made them sooo fluffy! Thanks again Nagi, another hit in my household
That’s awesome to hear Michaela, I’m so glad they were a hit! N x
Hello, I wonder if I can instant pot the potatoes instead of boiling to save me more time? Thanks
Hi Guendolyn, I imagine so however I haven’t tried! N x
Love your reciepes Nagi..thank you so much..your care and hard work shows all the time..Love your doggie too..Question..is there a reason you do not salt the water that you are boiling the potatoes in instead of salting after they are cooked?
Thanks so much Laura!
Nagi! You did it again. This recipe was amazing. I made it as a Thanksgiving side dish and everyone loved it. At my wedding last year, the restaurant serves mashed potatoes like this and it was to die for! So happy I found your recipe… now I can replicate it at home 🙂
Yes it’s such a show stopper!!! So decadent and addictive! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Nagi, We have cow milk allergies, but can handle butter. Should I use almond milk or extra butter in this recipe?
Hi Elizabeth, I’d just use a different milk 🙂
Can I use a Vitamix to blend mashed potatoes? I do not have a potato ricer. I am also using red potatoes with the skins on. (I’ve never posted before, but have followed you for a while.)
Please don’t! NEVER use a blender for potatoes – they are too powerful and they will activate the gluten in the potatoes and turn it into glue. Trust me, I made that mistake years ago and it was horrid. INEDIBLE!!! 😂 If you have a beater, that will work – but don’t take it too far because it too can make the potatoes gluey! That’s why restaurants use a ricer then a sieve 🙂 N xx
Thanks! Another question: I can handle butter, but not cow’s milk. Should I use extra butter or almond milk instead of cow’s milk?