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Aligot

Aligot is made from mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream,
garlic and melted cheese.

Floury rather than waxy potatoes such as russets are best.

The cheese must be mild, with a lactic tang, not too much salt, and
melt easily.

Despite Ian's comments below it can be made with English Lancashire
and other cheeses. Racelette would be wonderful. I'll use Mozzarella
as it is readily available here and inexpensive.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Aligot
Categories: Side dish, Potatoes, Cheese, French
Yield: 8 Servings

1 kg Potatoes
Salt
60 g Butter
250 ml Double cream
250 ml Creme Fraiche
360 g Tome Fraiche; NB*
Pepper

NB. This dish is made with a cheese sold under the name of "Tome …
Truffade", (another potato dish from the Auvergne). It is the curd
from which Cantal cheese is made, a cooked hard cheese rather of the
type of cheddar. Tome … Truffade is really quite soft, very mild and
slightly rubbery in texture. It's not much good to eat on its own,
but cooks up nicely in this and other similar dishes. I hope this
description enables you to find an intelligent substitute locally. A
grated VERY mild cheddar might do.

"In contrast to cheese fondues which is cooked only until the cheese
melts, the cheese and potato mixture for aligot should be beaten over
the heat, so the cheese cooks to form long ribbons which are cut
('aligoter' in the local dialect) for serving. Dry gruyere or sharp
cheddar can be used instead of cantal (Absolutely wrong- see my
notes. IMH). AW"

Cut the cheese, if soft, into small cubes, or grate if hard enough.
Peel the potatoes and cut each into 2-3 even sized pieces. Put them
into a pot, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a
boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender
when pierced with a knife or skewer. They should be quite soft (but
not falling to bits IMH).

Drain the potatoes thoroughly, and while still hot, push them
through a sieve or vegetable mill, or a potato ricer. Put the
puree in a heavy saucepan, add the butter and beat with a wooden
spoon over a low fire until the potatoes are light and fluffy.
Without removing from the heat, beat in the cream and then the
cheese and continue beating constantly with a wooden spoon until
the aligot forms long ribbons when it falls from the spoon. Season
to taste with pepper (and salt) and serve very hot.

IH notes, I use this to accompany crisply fried sausages, or
grilled bacon, where it is wonderful. With a mixed green salad,
you have the basis for an excellent and simple french meal, very
typical of the Auvergne. In the Auvergne, where this dish is
cooked in great cauldrons to celebrate the return of the cows from
their summer quarters in the hills, they would chop a lot of
garlic very finely, and each guest would sprinkle as much or as
little as they liked, over the aligot.

Recipe Anne Willan - French Regional Cooking Commented and MMed IMH

From: Ian Hoare

MMMMM

Horseradish is an unusual addition,

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Aligot Gratin
Categories: Side dish, Potatoes, Cheese, French
Yield: 6 Servings

1 3/4 lb Russet potatoes
3 tb Unsalted butter; softened
4 Garlic cloves; minced
3/4 c Milk
1 lb Fresh mozzarella cheese;
-chopped fine
2/3 c Chilled heavy cream
2 tb Drained bottled horseradish

In a large saucepan combine potatoes with salted water to cover by
2 inches and simmer until very tender, about 50 minutes. Drain
potatoes. Return potatoes to pan and heat over low heat, shaking
pan, until dry. Cool potatoes until they can be handled.

Peel potatoes and force through a ricer or medium disk of a food
mill into pan. Add butter, garlic, and milk and cook mixture over
moderately low heat, beating constantly with a wooden spoon, until
fluffy and heated through, about 2 minutes.

Add mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste and cook mixture,
beating until cheese is melted and forms long elastic strands when
lifted with spoon.

Divide aligot among 6 buttered 1-cup shallow gratin dishes or one
6-cup buttered gratin dish. Aligot may be prepared up to this
point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring aligot to room
temperature before proceeding with recipe.

Preheat broiler. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until
it holds soft peaks and beat in horseradish and salt to taste.
Spread horseradish cream over aligot and broil about 4 inches from
heat until golden, about 1 minute.

Gourmet March 1995

MMMMM



Cheers

Jim


... Ate a box of Thin Mints. Didn't get thinner. I don't think they work

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