Aligot (Cheesy Mashed Potatos)

Aligot (pronounced ahLEE-go) is a French-style side dish that essentially takes common mashed potatoes to the next level. Actually, it’s not just next level, but the cheesiest level you’ve ever thought your potatoes could be. In fact, it’s so cheesy and fondue-like, the potatoes stretch like taffy due to all the cheese combined with the already creamy, buttery starch. When I made this with Rachael Ray on her show, the “WOW!” look on her face said it all. All we could do was laugh because it’s that showy and that unreal. I mean, is it potatoes with cheese or cheese with potatoes? Whatever you decide, this should be served with any meat dish that has a succulent gravy to mix in with it, such as my Jewish Short Ribs (page 186) or Mississippi Chicken (page 149). From Super Shortcut Instant Pot® by Jeffrey Eisner, photograph by Aleksey Zozulya.

Cuisine

French

Course

Side Dish

Duration

30 Minutes

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

30 minutes, 4-6 servings, cheesy, french, french-style, heavy cream, instant pot, kosher salt and black pepper, mashed potatoes, pressure cook, salted butter, shredded gruyère/swiss or mozzarella cheese, side dish, yukon gold or idaho (russet) potatoes

Servings

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup (0.24 liters) water
2 1⁄4 pounds Yukon Gold or Idaho (russet) potatoes
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup heavy cream
6 cups (24 ounces) shredded Gruyère/Swiss or mozzarella cheese
kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

Pour 1 cup of water into your Instant Pot. Place the potatoes in a steamer basket and lower it into the pot. (You can also use the trivet, but the basket is easier.) Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, and select Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Perform a quick release when cooking is complete.
Using oven mitts, carefully remove the steamer basket and drain the liner pot. Return the liner pot to the Instant Pot and add the potatoes back in. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes directly in the pot until most of the large chunks are gone.
Cancel the current setting, then select Sauté and adjust to the Normal or Medium setting. Add the butter and mix it into the potatoes. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until everything is well combined.
Gradually add the shredded cheese in batches, stirring with a silicone spoon. (Note: silicone-coated utensils work best with melty cheese as they won’t stick.) Keep stirring constantly until the potatoes take on a stretchy, taffy-like consistency and become aligot. As you mix, taste and season with optional salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the mixture is hot and super stretchy, about 5 minutes.
When done, hit Cancel and then select Keep Warm. Leave the aligot in the pot while serving, as the heat is essential to maintain the cheesy stretch. The aligot will firm up if left at room temperature for too long, so once plated, enjoy it sooner rather than later for the best results.

Notes

Jeff’s Tips:
I used 4 cups shredded Gruyère/Swiss and 2 cups shredded mozzarella, but you can just as well use Gouda, Cheddar, Colby Jack, Mexican/taco blend, or Monterey Jack. Any melty cheese will do! If you want your aligot to be a bit creamier, simply add up to another cup of cream in Step 4 when it begins to stretch. If you really want to make these potatoes over the top, add a package of Boursin or 3⁄4 cup Garlic Herb Cheese (page 21) when adding the cheese in Step 4.
To Serve 1–2:
Halve all of the ingredients. (NOTE: The amount of water added in Step 1 will always be 1 cup no matter what, as that creates the steam for cooking.) Cook time remains the same.

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