Who Wants A “Parmentier?” Oh, And What Exactly Is It?
Well, most of you probably know the answer, but I didn’t! But it turns out one of my favorites places to visit factors into the dish.
Go to Paris and you will likely have this on your plate:
Behold The Potato!
In this case, potatoes that were whipped and pureed into a waterfall of deliciousness! So why am I discussing potatoes and “Parmentier” at the same time?
Here’s why:
A “Parmentier” Defintion!
Here’s what I learned about “parmentier” style:
“Many dishes served in France also come with some version of potatoes, often in the “parmentier” style. These dishes are named for Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813), a French pharmacist and agronomist who spent his adult life promoting the potato.“
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier: Potato Promoter!
Bravo to the guy who spent his life promoting potatoes!
A life spent promoting the potato is a life well lived, and America’s first female Michelin 3-star Chef has a “Vegetable Parmentier” recipe – so I had to try it!
Chef Dominique Crenn is an amazing culinary Artist – we met her in her San Francisco kitchen and I will show you what we ate in a minute, but first, a deep dive into her cookbook!
Chef Dominique Crenn’s Vegetable Parmentier!
This delicious dish is made in two parts: you prepare creamy mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley!
First, here are the ingredients for the vegetables:
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 carrots or other root vegetables, peeled and diced
- 1 yellow onion or leek, trimmed and minced
- 4 c. summer diced squash and zucchini
- 2⁄3 c. vegetable stock
- Fleur de sel or kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
As you can see, I prepped all of my ingredients ahead of time. In a pan set over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the diced carrots and other root vegetables like my cubed butternut squash and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
I then added my garlic and onion and zucchini and cooked for ten more minutes together.
Next, add 2⁄3 c. of vegetable stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed, about five minutes. It’s like an orchestra of deliciousness:
After five minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste…I also added a bit of oregano because I thought it would add a nice bit of flavor…set aside for now.
For The Mashed Potatoes:
- 1 kg Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2⁄3 cup whole milk
- 100 g room-temperature butter, cubed
- Fleur de sel or kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked white or black pepper, to taste
OK, everyone can make mashed potatoes…peel and cut them, boil in salted water until done, then drain the water.
Once the potatoes are fully drained, place them back in the pot.
Gradually whisk warm milk into the potatoes, along with the soft butter cubes. If the texture is too thick, add warm water by the tablespoon until your desired consistency is achieved. Season the potatoes with fleur de sel or kosher salt and white or black pepper, to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter your gratin dish, then spoon a layer of vegetables into the bottom. Spoon a layer of Mashed Potatoes on top of the vegetables, then smooth out the potatoes with a fork.
Here’s a video where I did just that – and yes, I left my goofy flub at the end on purpose:
As you saw in the video, the last part is to cover the Mashed Potatoes with shredded Comté cheese.
Bake the Vegetable Parmentier in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Here’s one last video of me taking it out of the oven and presenting it to you:
Here it is: a gorgeous vegetable Parmentier, which is much like a Shepards Pie without meat – and who needs it?
As you can see, the top turned golden brown and if you watched the video, you see that it forms a nice crispy dome – and is a treat to cut open because the aroma of the vegetables inside is incredible!
The crispy top melts away as the mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables fill your mouth…delicious!
I will readily admit that this wasn’t a perfect plating of food: I should have art directed it a bit more – but it tasted delicious…I am now hooked on all things Parmentier!
My wife Alex and I met Chef Crenn a few years ago when we ate at her 3-Michelin star restaurant:
And we had one of the best meals of our lives that night – here’s a tase:
You can see all that we ate by clicking on my story here:
Now, here’s another inventive Chef who loved to play with his potatoes as well:
the late, great Chef Joe Robuchon made the world’s most decadent pomme puree dish and so I made it as well…here’s the recipe!
I also love making this potato pie, thanks to the incredible restaurant Chez L’Ami Louis in Paris:
They are fun to make, look great on the plate, and taste delicious!
Here is the recipe:
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Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Writing, Recipes, Restaurants, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
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