🔑 Quick Answer: French mashed potatoes, or pommes purée, are cooked potatoes passed through a food mill, then beaten with cold butter and warm milk until silky. This version uses 1 pound of butter for 3 pounds of Yukon Golds. It takes 60 minutes from start to finish and serves 12 as a side.
Soon after, we learned to make Chef Joël Robuchon’s legendary pomme purée, and the secret was simple: high-quality potatoes, a food mill, and plenty of butter. This French-style side dish has been my go-to for special occasions ever since.
Growing up, my French stepmother regularly made pommes purée with a creamy texture (and a garlic clove or ten). My father always opted for mashed potatoes, so she made it regularly. Sometimes it was skin-on potatoes mashed with a generous amount of butter and some garlic, but my favorite was the classic French style with a food mill. She was the first person I saw use a food mill, and I quickly learned it was key to the best potatoes.
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This pommes purée was a game changer for me. I’d tried all sorts of mashed potatoes, from boxed to unpeeled potatoes partially mashed and even whipped in the stand mixer. Each style has its place, but I love this French style’s smooth, silky texture. It’s ideal for holding jus, gravy, or other sauces and plays a winning supporting role for dishes ranging from broiled salmon to roast chicken to pan-seared butter-basted steak to Thanksgiving spread.
These days, when I’m planning vacations in France for our clients, I insist they try this dish if they want a taste of classic French cooking.
Best for: Anyone hosting Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner, since one batch serves 12.
Why You’ll Love This French Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These French Mashed Potatoes are the epitome of comfort and sophistication. Known in France as pomme purée, or sometimes “Paris mash,” this version is richer and creamier than your everyday mash, thanks to silky butter, warm milk, and the delicate texture from a food mill or potato ricer.
This version is indulgent, elegant, and worth it when you want to serve the best possible side dish, whether for the holidays, a dinner party, or to bring a bit of French bistro magic home.
French Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient brings to these French mashed potatoes.
For the French Mashed Potatoes
- Yukon Gold potatoes are the base, and most French cooks use them alongside Charlottes. Russets make a fluffier mash, but Yukon Golds give the best results here.
- Add kosher salt to the cooking water and again at the end, and taste as you go.
- Cold unsalted butter is the star of pommes purée, and you’ll use a full pound. Cut it into cubes so you can stir it in a handful at a time. For a tangy version, swap up to half for cream cheese or sour cream.
- Whole milk loosens the purée and makes it silky. Heavy cream, or a mix of cream and crème fraîche, makes it even richer.
For the Garnishes (Optional but Highly Recommended)
- Fry the garnishes in canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil heated to 350°F.
- Fresh sage leaves fry in about 15 seconds, giving the potatoes a crisp, aromatic finish.
- Thinly sliced garlic cloves turn crisp and golden in the hot oil.
- Toss the shallots in all-purpose flour before they hit the oil, which turns them into frizzled rings.
How to Make French Mashed Potatoes
You could go all out with Thomas Keller’s restaurant-level technique, but I think this method is less fussy and just as good!
- Boil the Potatoes: Place the unpeeled potatoes in a pot of cold water seasoned generously with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are knife-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
- Warm the Milk: In a small saucepan, bring warm milk (or cream) to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat and cover.
- Make the Garnishes (Optional): To make crispy shallots, toss slices with flour and shake off excess. Heat oil to 350°F; fry shallots until golden, garlic until crisp, and sage leaves for 10–15 seconds. Drain all on paper towels and season with salt.
- Mash the Potatoes: When the potatoes are still warm, peel them and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer, then return them to the pot. Set over low heat, stirring to evaporate any extra moisture (this is the best way to achieve a fluffy, dry texture).
- Add the Butter and Milk: Gradually stir in the cold butter until entirely melted and incorporated. Then whisk in the warm milk until silky and smooth. Season to taste with salt.
- Serve: Spoon into a serving bowl and top with crispy garlic, shallots, and fried sage for extra aroma and crunch.
Tips for Perfect French Mashed Potatoes
- Choose the Right Potato: In France, most people use Charlotte or Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe. While Russet potatoes create a fluffier texture, I use them only for baked potatoes. For the best results, use Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Skip the Food Processor: Avoid a food processor; it overworks the starches and makes the potatoes gluey.
- Use a Food Mill: A food mill (or a potato ricer) produces the creamiest consistency.
- Work Over Low Heat: Drying the potatoes slightly before adding butter ensures a rich, not watery, mash.
- Serve Immediately: French mashed potatoes are best served warm, so keep them in a bain-marie
Variations on This Recipe
The beauty of this original recipe lies in its adaptability.
- Replace up to half the butter with cream cheese or sour cream for a tangy twist.
- Stir in roasted garlic cloves or caramelized onions for depth.
- Swap in olive oil (or roasted garlic oil) and low-fat milk for a lighter take.
- Mix in herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or chives.
- Add Gruyère or Parmesan for a cheesy, French-bistro-inspired version.
What to Serve with French Mashed Potatoes
These creamy French mashed potatoes pair beautifully with roast chicken, beef tenderloin, duck, or lamb. This is a side dish that elevates any meal, from weeknight dinner to festive holiday feast. For Thanksgiving, serve them alongside our herb-roasted turkey breast with pear gravy.
For a vegetarian option, pair them with roasted mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, broccolini, or grilled asparagus. The creamy texture and rich flavor profile make them versatile, elevating any main dish.
These French mashed potatoes (aka pomme purée) are proof that simple ingredients can produce extraordinary results when handled with care. Whether you’re cooking for special occasions or just craving something luxurious, this French-style mash transforms any meal into something memorable.
Frequently Asked Questions About French Mashed Potatoes
Yes—heavy cream makes these French mashed potatoes even richer and more decadent.
A food mill produces the smoothest results, while a potato ricer yields a slightly lighter texture. A potato masher works in a pinch but won’t achieve that signature French-style silkiness. A food processor should be avoided, as it can make the potatoes gummy.
Keep them warm over medium heat in a bain-marie or slow cooker, or reheat gently with extra warm milk to loosen the texture.
Pommes purée is the French name for these mashed potatoes, made by passing cooked potatoes through a food mill and beating in butter and warm milk. It's smoother and richer than an everyday mash, and some people call it Paris mash. Joël Robuchon's version is what made it famous.
Potato purée goes through a food mill or ricer, so it's completely smooth, while everyday mashed potatoes are usually crushed with a masher and keep some texture. A purée also takes far more butter. A food processor isn't a shortcut, because it overworks the starch and makes the potatoes gluey.
Yukon Gold potatoes are the best choice, and most cooks in France use them with Charlottes. Russets make a fluffier mash, but I save them for baked potatoes.
French Mashed Potatoes (Pommes Purée) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The French Mashed Potatoes:
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potato
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For The Garnishes:
- Canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil for frying garnish (optional)
- Handful fresh sage leaves (optional)
- 4 medium garlic cloves peeled, ends trimmed off, then sliced paper thin (optional)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for frying the shallots (optional)
- 3 medium shallots peeled, ends trimmed off, then sliced paper thin (optional)
Instructions
- Boil The Potatoes: Place potatoes in a pot of heavily salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are knife-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to let cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
- Make The Garnishes: If you're planning to make the garnishes, start on that now. To make the frizzled shallots, toss the sliced shallots with the flour, keeping the rings separate. Transfer the shallots to a fine mesh strainer and tap off the excess flour. Heat a small pan with 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. It's ready when you dip a wooden spoon in the oil and small bubbles form around the edge.
- When it shimmers, add garlic and cook until crisp, golden brown, and fragrant. Remove the garlic immediately to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Return oil to the stove to fry the sage. Add 5 to 6 leaves and fry for about 15 seconds, until crisp. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the leaves, drain on a lined plate, and set aside. Repeat to fry all the sage.
- Return the oil to the stove, lower the heat to medium-high, then add the shallots and fry, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain thoroughly; season lightly with salt.TIP: You can make garnishes up to one day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
- Mash the Potatoes: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel them, then pass them through a food mill or potato ricer into the cooking pot. Place the pot over low heat, then stir frequently for about 3 minutes, until the potatoes take on a drier, fluffier consistency. Working in batches, stir in handfuls of the butter until the mixture is creamy and the butter is melted. Once all the butter is incorporated, whisk in the warmed milk and season the potatoes with salt. Serve immediately or keep them warm in a slow cooker or bain-marie. Top with any and all garnishes before serving.
