AS THE FRENCH WOULD SAY ( pommes Dauphine) CREAM PUFF POTATOES

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I saw these several years ago on Bravo, Top Chef.  One of the competing Chefs did these.  And I said to myself I can do those.   So I did my research and found that Chef Jacques Pepin had done these in his book  "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques" 

Dauphine or CREAM PUFF POTATOES are made from equal amounts of Pate a choux (cream puff dough) and plain mashed potatoes. They are truly excellent served soon after being fried but soften if they're held too long. The pate a choux, can be made several days ahead, leaving you with just the potatoes to do.

Place the peeled potatoes in cold salted water. Boil and cook until done. Drain and push through a food mill or sieve. Mix the plain mashed potatoes with an equal amount of the pate a choux. (Pate a choux will follow this Recipe)    Fit a pastry bag with a fluted tube and fill.

For potato crowns, lay out strips on wax paper or parchment paper and pipe circles onto the paper.
DIP THE SHEETS WITH THE DOUGH INTO THE OIL AT THE TEMP OF (360°) AND THE POTOATOES SHOULD SLIDE OFF. Cook, turning the potatoes every 2 minutes, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Dry on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

For potato sticks, rest the tip of the pastry bag on the edge of the fryer. Squeeze the dough out, cutting it into strips by sliding the blade of a knife across the opening of the tube. Dip your knife in the hot oil to prevent sticking. cook for 5 to 6 minutes in 340°F oil. Drain on paper towels and salt.
For potato cream puffs, sue a teaspoon to scoop some dough. Get as close as you possibly can to the hot oil ( to avoid splashing), and push the dough off the spoon with your fingers.

Scrape the dough from the tip of your finger with the spoon, pushing it into the hot oil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes in 340°F oil, drain on paper towels and salt.

Cooking Tips

To kick up the potatoes after they have cooked try sprinkling a little cheese on them. Also when they first come out of the oil and you put them on the  cooling rack.... That is the time to add Kosher salt. Also DO NOT LET THE OIL TEMP DROP. or you will have greasy potatoe puffs. Still good but some what heavy. They can be served with a marinara sauce. One thing that I did........ was I increased the oil temp to 360F the orginal recipe calls for 340F, But I found that the lower temp made them slightly heavy with the oil retention. So thinking that maybe the higher temp they  would cook faster and thus not hold as much oil in them..... Sounded good to me... Author: Jacuques Pepin Source: Jacuques Pepin's Complete Techniques