Aligot Recipe from French Food

Aligot Recipe from French Food.
There's in fact a tradition behind this mix of pureed potatoes and cheese. Aligot isn't really a lot a side meal as it is a work of art. The meal is called Aligot and it stems from the Midi-Pyrenees in the South of France. This fondue-like meal from the Aveyron department is a typical sight in Auvergne dining establishments.
Simple potatoes and cheese are beaten together with creme fraiche till they form smooth, silky ribbons of pureed potato. The completed potatoes must have a somewhat elastic and smooth structure.
Like any mashed potato dish, this one is challenging to mess up; cream, garlic, cheese, and butter will certainly make any potato that much happier.
It will certainly be tough to go back to common mashed potatoes when you do. The approach is simple, too, and can be prepared ahead of time, right as much as the point when you include your cheese, which is best to do prior to serving.
Simply keep the mashed potatoes covered and warm, with a couple of spoonfuls of cream soaked top to avoid a skin from forming. Aligot is typically served with Auvergne merlot. It's a delightfully hearty dish, and it's appealing to consume all of it by itself, in the dead of winter season, for its sheer convenience value.

Ingredients:
3 cups grated Cantal cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup cr�me fraiche
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
1 clove garlic, crushed but kept intact
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, up until they turn tender and drain them.
2. Mash them with a potato masher and strongly mix in the salt, pepper, and butter for about 2 to 3 minutes, up until the potatoes fluff up a bit.
3. Set them aside in the pan for a minute.
4. In a medium pan over medium heat, bring the creme fraiche and garlic to simply steaming.
5. Remove the garlic and pour the steaming creme fraiche into the mashed potatoes and move the pan of potatoes to the stovetop over low heat.
6. Using a strong wooden spoon, beat the creme fraiche into potatoes.
7. Raise the heat to medium and beat in the cheese, 1/2 cup at a time.
8. Continue beating the mix over the heat till it forms a smooth, silky structure, about 10 minutes.
9. Pour onto warm plates and serve right away.