From the roundup: 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table
Duchess potatoes are the one Thanksgiving side I make every single year without negotiating with myself about it. Yukon golds get riced while they’re still steaming, stirred together with butter, egg yolks, Parmesan, and a little nutmeg, then piped into rosettes and baked until the ridges go deep golden. The active work is about 30 minutes, and the rest is oven time.
The make-ahead part is what actually makes these worth it for a holiday meal. I pipe the whole batch onto sheet pans the night before, cover them loosely, and slide them into the fridge. On Thanksgiving morning they go straight into a 400-degree oven, no thawing, just two or three extra minutes on the bake time. One less thing to scramble over when the kitchen is already crowded.
One thing I learned the hard way: let the potato mixture cool for a full four to five minutes before you stir in the egg yolks. I skipped that step once and ended up with little flecks of cooked egg throughout the batch. Still tasted fine, but the rosettes looked speckled instead of smooth. Give it the few minutes. It matters.
Why you will love this
- The rosettes can be piped up to 18 hours ahead and baked straight from the refrigerator, which clears real time on Thanksgiving Day.
- Parmesan and egg yolks give the potatoes a richness and structure that plain mashed potatoes don’t have, so they hold their shape from pan to platter.
- You don’t need professional piping skills. A 1M star tip and steady pressure are all it takes to get the ridged look.
- Each rosette is its own serving, so there’s no messy scooping at the table.
- Fresh chives and a little extra Parmesan on top take about 90 seconds and make the platter look finished.
Tips for success
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly and let them sit in the colander for two full minutes before ricing. Any extra moisture will make the rosettes soft and they won’t hold their ridges in the oven.
- Use a potato ricer or food mill, not a blender or food processor. A food processor breaks down the starch differently and turns the mixture gummy, which makes piping much harder and the texture dense.
- Brush each rosette lightly with olive oil or melted butter before baking. It’s a small step but it’s the reason the ridges actually turn golden instead of staying pale.
- Cool the potato mixture for four to five minutes before adding the egg yolks. If the potatoes are still steaming hot, the yolks will start to cook and you’ll get flecks of scrambled egg in the mixture.
Common questions
- Can I use russet potatoes? Yes, they work fine. The texture will be slightly less creamy and a little fluffier, but the rosettes will still hold their shape.
- My rosettes spread flat in the oven. The mixture was probably too warm when piped, or the potatoes weren’t dried out enough after draining. Chilling the piped rosettes for even 30 minutes before baking helps them hold their edges.
- Can I pipe these and freeze them before baking? The texture after thawing is grainy and the rosettes tend to weep moisture in the oven. Refrigerating overnight is the better option.
- What tip do I need? A 1M or 2D open star tip gives you the classic ridged look. If you don’t have one, a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off will still pipe a decent mound, just without the defined ridges.
Substitutions
Russet potatoes can replace Yukon golds if that’s what you have. The rosettes will be slightly less rich but will still pipe and bake well. Pecorino Romano works in place of Parmesan and has a sharper, saltier flavor, so taste before adding extra salt. If someone at the table avoids dairy, the Parmesan is harder to swap without changing the structure, but you can reduce it and add an extra tablespoon of butter for richness.
White pepper keeps the filling pale and smooth-looking, which is traditional, but black pepper works fine if that’s what’s in your pantry. Fresh chives can be replaced with thinly sliced green onion tops or finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Make-ahead and storage
Pipe the rosettes onto parchment-lined sheet pans, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Pull them straight from the fridge when you’re ready to bake and add two to three extra minutes to the bake time. No need to bring them to room temperature first.
Leftover baked duchess potatoes keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. They re-crisp well and the edges come back nicely. Freezing baked rosettes is not recommended because the texture turns grainy after thawing.
Duchess Potatoes with Chive and Parmesan
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Add the tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until a fork slides into the largest piece with no resistance at all. Drain thoroughly in a colander and let the potatoes sit for 2 minutes so the steam escapes. Wet potatoes will ruin the texture of the rosettes.
- While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a potato ricer or fine-mesh food mill back into the pot or into a large mixing bowl. Do not use a food processor or blender, which will make the potatoes gummy. Add the butter cubes right away and stir until melted and fully incorporated.
- Let the potato mixture cool for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is warm but not steaming hot. This is important before adding the egg yolks because if the potatoes are too hot they will scramble the eggs. Stir in the warm heavy cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, fine salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until the mixture is very smooth and holds a shape when you drag a spoon through it.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large piping bag with a 1M or 2D star tip and fill it two-thirds full with the potato mixture. Twist the top closed and pipe rosettes onto the prepared pans by holding the bag straight up, squeezing steadily from the base upward, then releasing pressure and pulling straight up to finish the tip. Space them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Each rosette should be roughly 2 1/2 inches wide.
- Lightly brush or spray the outside of each rosette with a small amount of olive oil or melted butter. This helps the ridges turn golden in the oven. If you are making these ahead, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point for up to 18 hours. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge and proceed without thawing.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tips and ridges are deep golden brown and the bottoms have a thin crust. The edges should be set and the potatoes should not jiggle when you nudge the pan. If they were refrigerated overnight, add 2 to 3 extra minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the rosettes sit on the pan for 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to a serving platter with a thin spatula. Sprinkle with sliced chives and a little extra Parmesan. Serve warm.
Notes
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