Pommes Dauphine — Fried Potato and Choux Puffs

Rinse the peeled potatoes, cut into pieces about 3 cm across and place in a pot with 2000 ml cold water, without salt. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the pieces are completely soft and yield easily to a fork. While they cook, prepare the choux pastry in the next two steps.

Pour 125 ml water into a saucepan and add the butter, cut into pieces, and 1 g salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the liquid boils; remove from the heat and add all the type 500 wheat flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, then return to medium-low heat and work the mixture for 2–3 minutes. It should come together in a firm ball, pull away from the sides and leave a thin pale film on the bottom, with no dry flour remaining.

Transfer the cooked paste to a bowl, spread it out a little across the bottom and cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until only slightly warm and no longer steaming; wait longer if it is still hot. Beat the eggs and add them in several small additions, working each one in thoroughly before the next. Incorporate both eggs: the mixture may separate at first, but once mixed it should be smooth, glossy and thick, slowly falling from the spoon in a heavy ribbon rather than pouring.

Drain the soft potatoes thoroughly, discarding the water, and dry them in the empty pot over low heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pot. While still hot, pass them through a potato ricer or mash thoroughly with a potato masher; do not use a blender. Add the remaining 5 g salt, white pepper and nutmeg, then cool for about 5 minutes until the mashed potatoes are warm but not steaming. Stir them into the choux pastry to make a smooth, thick mixture that sits in a mound on the spoon.

Pour the oil into a tall, heavy-bottomed pot about 18–20 cm in diameter with a capacity of at least 3 l; the oil should come no more than one-third of the way up the pot. Heat over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes; you can start while the mashed potatoes cool briefly. If using a deep fryer, set it to 170°C; in a pot, the first portion of mixture should rise amid steady bubbles without immediately darkening. If it browns too quickly, reduce the heat before adding more portions.

Using two clean, dry spoons, scoop rounded portions roughly the size of a tablespoon, about 3.5 cm before frying, and carefully slide them in just above the surface of the oil. Make about 32 puffs, frying 8 at a time in four batches so they have room to expand. Fry each batch for 6–7 minutes, turning with a slotted spoon, until the puffs have visibly expanded and are evenly golden; the center should be light and set, without wet raw dough. Keep the frying gentle and steady, and allow the oil to heat back up before the next batch; the whole process takes about 30–35 minutes including transferring the puffs.

Lift out each cooked batch with a slotted spoon, drain briefly over the pot and transfer to paper towels without stacking. Serve immediately, about 8 puffs per side serving, while the outside is crisp and the inside soft and light. The frying oil stays in the pot and is not part of the serving.