Pommes Soufflées: v 1.0

At long last, success! Ever since first experiencing pommes soufflées while dining at at Restaurante Zalacaín in Madrid (2014), it became an obsession to learn how to make these. For those not familiar with this dish, it is basically a fried potato puff. It is created by first frying a 3-4mm slice (9.5mm if using a crinkle cut slice) of a starchy potato at 150°C (300°F) to seal the surface while keeping the inside moist. They are then dropped into a second pot of oil at 190°C (375°F) which causes the hot water in the middle to instantly vaporize puffing the slice into a potato balloon. As the puff continues to fry in the hot oil, it crisps up preventing it from collapsing once nicely browned and removed. Served immediately adorned simply with some salt, they are to die for.

Although disputed, the legend of how these were created is that they were discovered like so many things, purely by chance in 1837. According to Larousse Gastronomique, Queen Marie-Amélie and other notables were supposedly delayed in their arrival for a meal to celebrate the inauguration of the first passenger railway in France on which they were travelling; it had difficulty climbing a hill. Anticipating their arrival, Chef Collinet of Le Pavillon Henri IV, a restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, not far from Paris, had started frying potatoes. On learning that they would be late, he removed them from the oil. When they did arrive, he put the partially fried potatoes back in the oil and voila, to his surprise they puffed!

Seemingly a simple technique, from experience, I can assure you it is anything but, as there are many variables starting with the potato. The French chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul is credited with elucidating what was happening. Moisture content is key; if new and too moist, or too old and dry, they will not puff. Russets potatoes with a moisture content of 18%-20% is said to be ideal. One should look for a slightly aged starchy potato with firm clear skin. Also, as I learned after many failures, I believe how one cuts the potato is important. If cut perpendicular to the long axis, the core (medulla) running along the center, holds the two sides together preventing them from puffing. What one wants is the perimedulla, the largest component of the potato between the skin and core. So first lesson, cut parallel! Second lesson, oil temperature is critical. Too hot on the first fry and the outside crisps so it can't expand on the second. Timing of the second fry is also critical.

Edit: I have since writing this retried cutting perpendicular instead of my previous recommendation parallel to the long axis. I can’t say with certainty whether it is the key to success! Should you attempt pommes soufflées, please leave a comment below letting me know what worked for you.

It took many attempts over the three years since I first had these, but I believe I have finally figured out how to puff potatos reliably. Even so, Jacques Pépin notes that even experienced chefs in a restaurant setting, may experience 15% -20% failure!

Pommes soufflées prepared professionaly at Restaurante Zalacaín in Madrid, 2014.

Here are my potato slices after first fry. At this stage, they can be reserved for for second fry to puff and crisp at time of final service. It may even be possible to freeze them in this state.

Pommes soufflées prepared anything but professionaly at home, Oakville, 2017. Here I have experimented with both rectangles and spheres. I have also created heart shaped pommes soufflée which work nicely. It is written that they can also be sliced using the crinkle blade on a mandoline, although I have neither seen this or tried to do so.

Served with truffle salt, they are delicious!