We know the “t” is silent in pommes aligot, this week’s French potato dish, but we don’t care. What fun is cooking a French meal if you can’t butcher the language? You should hear us say filet de boeuf! Despite taking French class together in college where we were Philippe and Isabel, (Ooh la la!) Phil and I make Frenchmen everywhere wince and utter mais non! under their breath when we try pronouncing the dishes. Ben, for his part, is blameless. He pronounces the dish chee-zee poh-tay-tohz.
Last night, we grilled the skinny end of a beef tenderloin and served it with pommes aligot (cheesy potatoes) and a grated carrot salad, which Google tells me is salade de carottes râpées.
Ben did an outstanding job of peeling the carrots and the potatoes. Everything was delicious and we all lived happily ever after.
Yes, that is true. All of it is true. We all agreed on what to make for dinner, we all pitched in and did our part in the kitchen. Ben was a delight. He worked hard and wielded the vegetable peeler masterfully. The potatoes, with a stick of butter, a hearty dose of cream, and ¾ pound of cheese did not miss their mark. The tenderloin was grilled to our liking. Très magnifique!
Can’t we just leave it at that? Well sure, but here at BDW we believe in fair and balanced reporting, and must therefore reveal facts uncovered in the filet de boeuf-gate scandal.
There was a freezer incident a couple months ago, in which the door was left ajar for 17 hours. Mon dieu! I will not publicly name the perpetrator, or his accomplice who walked past the freezer at about hour 11 and did nothing to rectify the situation, but privately, of course, J’accuse! In any case, the use of freezer contents since then has taken on an air of urgency and derring-do. The beef tenderloin used in this meal was a survivor of the incident. Phil’s motto, “What you smell is what you get” seems to be holding so far, but since Pepé Le Pew has not (to my knowledge) acquired a government post yet, I feel that every meal is a walk on the wild side. If you want to play it safe, just make the potatoes.
Pommes Aligot
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch slices
Salt and pepper
8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ – 2 cups whole milk or a combination of skim milk and heavy cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring potatoes to boil then reduce to medium low and simmer until potatoes are very tender (12-17 minutes) then drain.
Transfer potatoes to food processor, working in batches if necessary. Add butter, garlic, and 1 tablespoon salt. Pulse until butter is melted and incorporated into potatoes. Add 1 ½ cups milk and continue to process until potatoes are smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Transfer the potatoes to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cheeses 1 cup at a time until the mixture is smooth and elastic. Stir in 2 tablespoons milk at a time until potatoes reach loose creamy consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
The perpetrator and accomplice have always scoffed in the face of danger and dodgy beef!