Last autumn, my wife, four family members and I had the good fortune of staying in a restored 16th-century farmhouse tucked away in southwestern France. We were based in Homps, a tiny village of just 80 residents, where the only local facilities were a chapel, post office and a cemetery – a place where we marveled at numerous headstones honoring nonagenarians, a testament to the benefits of a healthy rural lifestyle! Although Homps had no restaurants, corner stores or grocery stores, a 30-minute drive took us to larger nearby towns with lively weekly open-air markets packed with fresh poultry, meats and produce. As a professional chef, walking through these markets made me feel like a kid in a candy shop!
While English was widely spoken in major cities such as Paris, it was unusual to find anyone who spoke it in the countryside. Communicating with market vendors became an entertaining game of charades, often leading to a few unexpected purchases. Yet, tasked with preparing nightly dinners for six, I embraced the challenge and enjoyed every minute.
While exploring the Saturday market in L’Isle-Jourdain, I spotted a vendor energetically working butter, cream and generous amounts of cheese into garlic-infused mashed potatoes with a substantial wooden paddle in a huge copper cauldron. Intrigued, I used Google Translate to ask what she was making. “Je prépare de l’aligot,” she answered. She was preparing aligot (pronounced ah-lee-goh) – a classic dish crafted from mashed potatoes, garlic, butter, cream and cheese. When she raised the paddle, a thick, stretchy strand of cheesy potatoes rose high into the air, like a cross between fondue and mashed potatoes.
Originating in 13th-century Auvergne, France, aligot was a sustaining meal monks made for pilgrims journeying along the Camino de Santiago toward Spain’s Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The original version combined stale bread and cheese; however, wheat-harvest failures throughout the 17th century prompted a shift to potatoes. Nowadays, this regional specialty remains a beloved feature at local markets and village festivals.
Authentic aligot calls for tomme fraîche – a mild, unsalted, pressed cheese characterized by its signature elastic stretch when melted. Because tomme fraîche is hard to find outside of France, a blend of mozzarella (for that iconic stringy pull) and Gruyère (for rich, nutty depth) makes a great substitute. Be sure to grate the cheese fresh – pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents – and allow it to come to room temperature before stirring, ensuring a smooth, seamless emulsion with the potatoes.
Most aligot recipes use waxier varieties like Yukon Golds for a creamier purée. Boiling them unpeeled helps retain their starch. When cool enough to handle, you can easily remove the skins with a towel. Unlike traditional mashed potatoes, aligot relies on glutinous starch for its signature stretch. Mash the potatoes with a ricer or food mill – never with a food processor.
To create that signature velvety, elastic texture, blend the two cheeses into the warm, creamy mashed potatoes. As they melt and unify, the mixture emulsifies, allowing it to stretch dramatically – often a foot or more over the pot – before snapping back. During a recent beer-and-cheese dinner event for 40 guests at my restaurant, I prepared aligot myself. The relentless, energetic paddling required to stretch it properly was so taxing that I eventually handed the wooden spoon over to my younger kitchen staff.
Pommes aligot – cheesy potatoes
Subtly garlic-infused, warm and comforting, pommes aligot is a wonderful side dish for roasted meats and sausages. Serve hot and lift high with a wooden spoon for maximum drama!
After retiring from a 40-year career in dentistry at age 66, Dr. Peter Glatz embraced his lifelong dream of becoming a professional chef. For the next seven years he gained hands-on experience in kitchens nationwide. His transition from the exacting world of dentistry to the inventive world of culinary arts is a testament to the possibility of reinvention by teaching cooking classes at Prairie Fruits Farms and Creamery in Champaign.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, grated
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup heavy cream
3 garlic cloves, grated with a Microplane
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Combine the grated mozzarella and Gruyère in a bowl. Let sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes. Dropping cold cheese into hot potatoes will cause the fats to seize and separate instead of emulsifying smoothly.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, gently warm the heavy cream and grated garlic together until barely simmering. Remove from heat, cover and let steep while the potatoes cook.
Place the unpeeled Yukon Golds in a large pot, cover with cold water by at least an inch, and add a generous tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15–18 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender and yield when pierced with a paring knife. Drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, peel with a towel and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Pass the warm potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill directly back into the dry, warm cooking pot. Stir in the cubed butter until fully melted. Gradually pour in the warm garlic-infused cream, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Place the pot over low heat. Add the grated cheeses one handful at a time. Stir constantly in a circular motion with a wooden spoon, lifting the spoon to stretch the cheese into long strands. Wait until each batch is fully melted and incorporated before adding the next.
Once you add all the cheese, beat the mixture over low heat for three to five minutes. The potatoes will transform from a standard mash into a glossy, elastic ribbon that pulls away from the pot sides and stretches when lifted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately while piping hot, pulling and cutting the ribbons directly onto plates.
This article appears in November 5-11, 2026.
