Title: Aligot
 Categories: Side dish, Vegetables, Cheese/eggs, French
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 kg Potatoes
           Salt
     60 g  Butter
    250 ml Double cream;-=OR=- better
    250 ml Creme Fraiche
    360 g  Tome Fraiche; NB*
           Pepper
 
  NB. This dish is made with a cheese sold under the name of "Tome …
  Truffade", (another potato dish from the Auvergne). It is the curd
  from which Cantal cheese is made, a cooked hard cheese rather of the
  type of cheddar. Tome … Truffade is really quite soft, very mild and
  slightly rubbery in texture. It's not much good to eat on its own,
  but cooks up nicely in this and other similar dishes. I hope this
  description enables you to find an intelligent substitute locally. A
  grated VERY mild cheddar might do.
  
  "In contrast to cheese fondues which is cooked only until the cheese
  melts, the cheese and potato mixture for aligot should be beaten over
  the heat, so the cheese cooks to form long ribbons which are cut
  ('aligoter' in the local dialect) for serving. Dry gruyŠre or sharp
  cheddar can be used instead of cantal (Absolutely wrong- see my
  notes. IMH). AW"
  
  Cut the cheese, if soft, into small cubes, or grate if hard enough.
  Peel the potatoes and cut each into 2-3 even sized pieces. Put them
  into a pot, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a
  boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender
  when pierced with a knife or skewer. They should be quite soft (but
  not falling to bits IMH).
    Drain the potatoes thoroughly, and while still hot, push them
  through a sieve or vegetable mill, or a potato ricer. Put the puree
  in a heavy saucepan, add the butter amd beat with a wooden spoon over
  a low fire until the potatoes are light and fluffy. Without removing
  from the heat, beat in the cream and then the cheese and continue
  beating constantly with a wooden spoon until the aligot forms long
  ribbons when it falls from the spoon. Season to taste with pepper
  (and salt) and serve very hot.
  
  IH notes, I use this to accompany crisply fried sausages, or grilled
  bacon, where it is wonderful. With a mixed green salad, you have the
  basis for an excellent and simple french meal, very typical of the
  Auvergne. In the Auvergne, where this dish is cooked in great
  cauldrons to celebrate the return of the cows from their summer
  quarters in the hills, they would chop a lot of garlic very finely,
  and each guest would sprinkle as much or as little as they liked,
  over the aligot.