# Duchesse Potatoes in Advance on Mise en Place



## maxs (Oct 29, 2012)

Can you keeP duchesse Potatoes Pre-PiPed on the mise en Place and fire them ala minute with good results? (can you tell my "P" key is broken?)


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## linecook854 (Feb 13, 2013)

From someone who has never done them before it sounds like it would be OK. The only things I would take into consideration is them sort of "deflating" or losing their shape (being careful not to crush them as well), drying out (once any sort of enrichment is added to potatoes and chilled they seem to loose their moisture content for some reason, seen this happen with pommes puree and pommes dauphine) and how long you intend on keeping them in your mise. The egg yolk will start to oxidize and go bad (see my thread in the pastry forum).

Any other thoughts on this? I've been curious to try this as well.


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

It'll work, but all of linecook's cautions are true regarding moisture loss and shelf life. Even well-wrapped, I wouldn't use them for more than 2 services.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

You can pipe the Duchess potatoes and keep them in your line cooler.

When you get an order, simply place them on a sizzler pan and drizzle with a little butter, then fire them in a hot oven.

Now........there are as many variations of "douche" potatoes as Done's has pills.

Egg yolk is only one option as a binding agent.

Some cooks use real potatoes and tighten the Duchess with canned mashed potato powder ....   (ugly)

They don't deflate if you don't use eggs.

The consistency is key issue here. You don't want them to stiff or they come out dry. Also too loose and they won't hold their shapes


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Rather then Duchess the same mix can be made and applied as Potato Bordure which goes on the plate but not in advance. To refrig a duchess it takes a long time for the heat to penetrate so outside maybe golden brown but inside ice cold. With bordure this does not happen.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

The first step in making duchess potatoes is to take a time machine back to 1960. 

Seriously, it should be fine. I don't know how busy of a restaurant you work at, but is it possible to pipe to order? Keep the mix in a piping bag and then just pipe it when you fire the potatoes? Or maybe cook/fire in batches? 

I'd be worried that the potatoes would get moist or deflate--a duchess potato isn't a duchess potato without the egg yolks. Otherwise it is just piped dry mashed potatoes. Exposure to the open air in the low boy could cause them to dry out, and with duchess it can be a fine line between dry and really dry. 

If you use canned mashed potato powder then you've got bigger problems lol.


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## linecook854 (Feb 13, 2013)

Just curious who hasn't made duchesse without egg yolks? I thought that is what gave them their distinguishing feature aside from the shape? I've seen a little nutmeg used in them as well like a lot of other old school French things.


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