I know, it doesn't look so good. (For that matter, neither do I.) The photograph in my regional cookbook, Recettes de nos Terroirs, has a spoon lifted up with a long, stretchy mass of potatoey cheesy goodness oozing back down into the pot. As you can see, my aligot did not ooze. It did not stretch. It was barely stirrable.
It's true that I avoid arithmetic whenever possible, but I think to get the quantities correct I needed a scale, which is way more advanced kitchen equipment than our rental provides. So I guessed at everything, which just might possibly have affected the result. But after having it again the next night, heated in a saucepan with a little extra water, I think the lack of stretchiness was from not getting it hot enough, so the cheese was melting but not melting all the way. Like so many things, my aligot was better -- more garlicky and stretchier -- on the day after.
In any case, aligot is fantastic. It's a dish from the Auvergne, in the center of France, land of many terrific cheeses, including Cantal. If you like beer, I bet beer would be the perfect thing to go with. And make it soon, while it's still cold outside and it feels good to have something stretchy and warm and potatoey in your belly.
800 g puréed potatoes
400 g cantal
1 clove garlic
75 g butter
20 cl crème fraîche
salt and pepper
The trick, I think, is to keep the mashed potatoes really hot while you stir in the rest of the ingredients. I had it in a bowl over some hot water but next time I'll use low direct heat.
In some regions you can get aligot from street vendors in wintertime. That would be worth freezing for, no question.
Bon appétit.
