FOOD NEWS
French Pomme Aligot: Is It Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Or Both?
By Betsy Parks
Described by The New York Times as "somewhere between buttery mashed potatoes and pure melted cheese," French pomme aligot has become a bit of a cult-classic dish. Aligot is often confused with fondue due to their similar textures, however, aligot isn’t served as a dipping dish like fondue, but rather, as a side with local sausages.
While there's a lot of cheese involved with aligot the base is mostly potatoes. Many aligot recipes call for a ratio of around a pound of potatoes to a half pound or so of cheese. In fact, a lot of that signature stretch comes from potato starch.
Aligot is a deceptively simple recipe, but you need to pay attention to technique. Experts seem to agree that the key to a perfect aligot getting a fine mash on your spuds. Even if you use a ricer or a food mill for the mash you’ll still need some elbow grease as mixing in the cheese can take 10-20 minutes of hard stirring.