Bouchées Parmentier au Fromage

Potato Cheese Sticks

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1/2 lb. baking potatoes (2 medium potatoes)

1 cup sifted AP flour

1 stick softened butter

1 egg

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/8 tsp white pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain, then put through a ricer. You should have about 1 cup.

Stir the potatoes over moderate heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan for 2-3 minutes until they form a light film on the bottom of the pan, indicating most of their moisture has been evaporated.

Beat the flour into the potatoes, then the butter by fractions, then the egg, cheese, and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven to 425. Either butter 2 baking sheets or cover them with parchment paper.

With a fluted pastry tube 1/4 inch in diameter, squeeze the mixture into 2 1/2-inch lngths spaced 1/2-inch apart onto the baking sheets. Bake both sheets at the same time for about 15 minutes, or until the sticks are lightly browned.