Recipe: Hachis Parmentier

Name: Hachis Parmentier
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: Hachis Parmentier for 8 guests :; 1 kg (2.2 lb) 200 of cooked pot-au-feu meat; 50 gr (1.75 oz) of parsley; 2 sweet onions (Roscoff variety); 50 gr (1.75 oz) of fatty bacon; 10 cl (0.4 cup) of red Porto wine; 30 gr (1.1 oz) golden breadcrumbs; 4 dl of pot-au-feu stock; salt, freshly ground pepper; For the mashed potatoes:; 1 kg (2.2 lb) of potatoes; 80 gr (2.8 oz) of butter; 2 dl of milk; Salt and nutmeg

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (12 reviews) · 🍳 7 made it

Prep 20 min

Cook 60 min

Total 1h20

Servings 8 serv.

Hachis Parmentier is smart leftover cooking: cooked beef from pot-au-feu or beef tails, minced fine with parsley and lard. Braise it in the oven with port and beef stock for 35 minutes. Layer with mashed potato underneath, meat mixture in the middle, mashed potato on top, then gratine at 220°C. Plan 1h30 total. Serve with curly endive salad and garlic croutons.

Ingredients for 8 servings

Adjust for

servings

Hachis Parmentier for 8 guests :
1 kg (2.2 lb) 200 of cooked pot-au-feu meat
50 gr (1.75 oz) of parsley
2 sweet onions (Roscoff variety)
50 gr (1.75 oz) of fatty bacon
10 cl (0.4 cup) of red Porto wine
30 gr (1.1 oz) golden breadcrumbs
4 dl of pot-au-feu stock
salt, freshly ground pepper

For the mashed potatoes:

1 kg (2.2 lb) of potatoes
80 gr (2.8 oz) of butter
2 dl of milk
Salt and nutmeg

Step-by-step directions

Make classic mashed potatoes using 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cooked potatoes, 80 gr (2.8 oz) of butter and 2 dl of milk. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Mince the beef and mix it with the chopped parsley and the bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Finely chop the 2 onions, sweat them in some butter for 10 min without letting them brown. Season and then add the Porto wine. Cook for another 5 min. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the minced meat and cook in the oven for 45 min at 350°F (180°C (355°F) or th6).

Once the Hachis Parmentier is done, there should be no juices left and the consistency should be quite airy.

Place a layer of mashed potatoes in a terracotta or porcelain dish, alternate with layers of meat until you finish with a layer of mashed potatoes. Use a spatula to draw waves on the puree as a decoration, cover with breadcrumbs and sprinkle with several bits of butter.

Cook in a hot oven at a temperature of 425°F (220°C (430°F) or th8) until the top of the Hachis Parmentier becomes a golden brown.

Serve with a curly endive salad and garlic croutons, for example.

The Hachis Parmentier can be declined into an infinity of different recipes, using the mashed potato base: with fish, scallops, foie gras, game, etc…

My favourite recipe for Hachis Parmentier includes mashed black pudding and thin foie gras slices…

Chef's tip

Hachis Parmentier is a lazy Sunday, when you have time and want to turn leftover pot-au-feu into something else. Born in 19th-century Paris, named after Parmentier the pharmacist who made potatoes respectable in France. Once upper-class Paris dining, now rediscovered because it's honest, affordable, and just needs care. It's autumn and winter cooking mostly, when floury potatoes (Samba or Bintje) are at their best. Sweet onions like Roscoff work well here, softened without browning. No rare ingredients: yesterday's boiled beef, lard from the market, ordinary port wine. For wine, reach for light red wines with body: Beaujolais village, young Côtes du Rhône. Skip delicate wines, the purée and breadcrumb crust need something with grip. Sancerre rouge works, Meursault white too if you prefer to stay white. For sides, curly endive salad with garlic croutons is the rule. A few slightly bitter leaves, croutons rubbed with garlic and fried in butter. Nothing else. And note: this base works endless ways: with black pudding and duck foie gras slices, with scallops, game, fish. It's a template, not dogma.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace the port with another wine?

Yes. Port brings sweetness. Try dry Madeira or dry white wine like Sancerre if you find port too sweet. Same amount, same result. Avoid tannic red Bordeaux, it hardens the dish.

How long does hachis Parmentier keep in the fridge?

Three days max, well covered. Freeze before gratin: hermetic wrapping, 2 months max. Slow thaw in fridge (12 hours) before gratin. Don't freeze after cooking, texture turns grainy.

How do you prevent minced meat from being too moist after oven cooking?

The stock should reduce in the oven normally, but if juice remains at step 6, raise temperature to 220°C from start and uncover last 10 minutes. Meat must crumble, not swim. If wet, the gratin won't crisp properly.