Hearty Hachis Parmentier Makes for the Perfect Winter Dish; Warm Your Seasonal Gatherings with French Classic

By Yukako Oishi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:45 JST, January 12, 2025

The New Year period brings more opportunities to gather with loved ones away from the cold.

French chef Noboru Tani has shared a recipe for hachis parmentier, a hearty dish perfect for such winter occasions.

The gratin dish is made by layering cooked ground beef and smooth mashed potatoes, then baking in the oven. It is named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French agronomist who contributed to the popularization of potatoes in France during the 18th century. Hachis refers to a dish made from chopped or ground ingredients in French, with hachis parmentier said to be normally made using leftovers.

“This is a typical French home-style dish. It’s perfect for the cold season,” Tani said. As it’s a simple recipe, the natural flavors of the ingredients should be used to their fullest.

First, slowly sautee the onions to bring out their flavor, making sure they do not burn. Tani advises adding water partway through, allowing the onions to simmer slightly. “This is easier than just continuing to saute [the onions]. It will prevent burning, too,” he said. Add more water and saute for longer if the onions are not cooked all the way through.

Saute the ground beef thoroughly. To prevent burning while still achieving a crumbly texture, coat the meat with the olive oil before cooking.

Once the meat begins releasing moisture, adjust the heat and cook until fragrant. Strain through a colander to remove excess fat.

Stir the onion, garlic and meat together, and simmer with tomato puree and white wine. Ketchup or red chili peppers can be used to add sweetness or heat.

Tani likes to mix some of the cooked meat with the potatoes before layering the rest in a large baking dish. “This way, you can enjoy a sense of everything being brought together, though you also can just layer without mixing,” he said.

The aroma of the cheese sprinkled on top whets the appetite once baked in the oven. The richness of the crispy cheese, the savory flavor of the meat and the sweetness of the potatoes make for a crowd pleaser. As it’s quite filling, the dish can serve as a main course.

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Wooden spatulas

Wooden utensils are a kitchen essential. Tani recommends choosing a wooden spatula with a curved paddle for sauteing as it can move along the sides of a pan. A round-tipped wooden spoon is preferable for stirring stews.

Using any utensil will become second nature after a while. Tani advises to not leave any wooden utensils wet after washing. Before putting them away, he dries them on a rack over the stove.

Hachis parmentier

Ingredients:

• 750 grams ground beef
• 600 grams potatoes
• 400 grams onion
• 30 grams garlic
• 200 grams tomato puree
• 200 milliliters white wine
• About 200 milliliters milk
• Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
• About 50 grams Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil

  Directions:

  

  1: Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash in a cooking tray. Add milk to soften the potatoes to taste.

  2. Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Add a little olive oil to a frying pan and saute the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and saute together.

  3. Coat the beef with a little olive oil. Sautee in a separate pan until fragrant. Place in a colander to drain off any excess fat.

  

  4. Add the meat to the onion and garlic. Mix in tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Add white wine and reduce. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste.

  5. Add about a quarter of the meat to the potatoes and mix together.

  6. Place the rest of the meat in a baking dish and top with the meat and potato mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the entire surface. Cook in a preheated oven at 150 C for about 20 minutes until golden brown.