purée

Purée is a smooth, thick paste or sauce produced by cooking and then grinding or mashing foods until they pass through a sieve or are finely blended. In culinary contexts, purée describes food that has a uniform, soft texture with little or no discernible solid bits. The word comes from the French purée, and in English is used for both sweet and savory preparations. Purées can be served as side dishes, bases for sauces, or incorporated into other recipes. They may be strained or sieved to achieve a very smooth texture.

Potato purée, commonly called mashed potatoes, is made by cooking potatoes until tender, then mashing with butter and milk or cream. For a lighter or silkier result, cooks pass the mixture through a potato ricer or a fine sieve, and avoid overworking the starch, which can make the purée heavy or gluey. Variations include adding roasted garlic, sour cream, or cheese.

Fruit purées are made by cooking or blending fruit, then straining if necessary to remove seeds. They are used in desserts such as mousses, fillings, or sauces, and as baby foods. Examples include apple purée and pear purée. Vegetable purées include tomato purée as a concentrated paste used as a sauce base; carrot or squash purées are common in soups and side dishes.

Purées can be thickened with starch, and emulsified with butter or oil. They are typically stored refrigerated for several days or frozen for longer. In classical French cuisine, purée forms the basis for potage purée soups and for sauces, and may be prepared using a food mill, sieve, or blender.