One of the most delicious and most indulgent potato side dishes are duchess potatoes. They are like mashed potatoes but are over the top and are like on steroids. Duchess potatoes are cooked potatoes that are mixed with heavy cream, soft butter, egg yolks and a little nutmeg with salt and pepper. The potatoes get piped threw a pastry bag and and then baked in the oven to get tasty crisp ends. It’s a very rich dish and you sure don’t come by it often as it often was a dish that was usually served table side on a big silver platter with a chateaubriand also know as a Tenderloin for two. Those kind of dishes and restaurants with table side service seemed to disappeared around 1990. They seemed to have gone out of style.

I think I updated the recipe using much lighter healthier kabocha squash. To make a batch of either duchess potatoes or duchess inspired kabocha squash we start with a medium size squash or about 3 pounds of potatoes. The nutrition is significantly different.

about 3 pounds of potatoes is around 854 calories and about 248 carbs

about 3 pounds of kabocha squash is around 240 calories and about 42 carbs

I also cut in half the amount of butter I’d use to make duchess potatoes and instead of the 3 egg yolks I just used 1 whole extra large egg.

Because the flavor profile is different I did splurge on a 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar I thought we could afford.

Overall it’s very tasty and dinner guest will not be aware that this is a much lighter healthier alternative to a potato side dish.

Ingredients to make around 16 portions (extras can be frozen and reheated well)

1 medium kabocha squash roasted, seeded and flesh removed

2 oz. butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 extra large egg beaten

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 a very small fresh grated nutmeg

pinch salt

Directions Set oven to 350 degrees and you need lightly greased baking sheets

mash squash with potato masher and slowly add all the ingredients and mash till well combined. Fill your pastry bag about halfway with mixture and  twist the end to hold the mixture in.

Squeeze out the mixture with your hand holding on to the twisted end while pushing the mixture threw the tip. Make like your adding soft serve ice cream to a cone.

 

Place in 350 degree oven until the ends crisp up nice and look like they were torched. Depending on oven and the amount of pans in your oven that might take around a half an hour.

Use what you need and extras can be frozen. Around holiday time I like to top them with a mix of extra brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and some chopped up roasted chestnuts.