The humble potato is beloved the world over. There are myriad ways to prepare potatoes and everyone has their favorite potato dish. Chef Alexia Duchêne is a potato stan, and she recently shared her three favorite French potato preparations with Bon Appétit. She thinks every home cook should know how to make these delicious dishes—and because they are French, they automatically sound fancy and will impress your guests.

Duchess potatoes (Pommes duchesse) from Serious Eats

In the Bon Appétit video, Chef Duchêne demonstrates how to prepare "crispy, buttery" pommes Anna, "light and pillowy" pommes Dauphine, and silky pommes purée. For those who are not into video recipes, Bon Appétit provides a transcript so you can just read the commentary. Duchêne offers helpful advice, for example explaining why you want to warm the milk to make pommes puree: "because as soon as the potato gets cold, the starch gets really hard to work with."

My favorite French potato preparation is pommes duchesse. I love how the little ridges of potato get crispy while the inside is smooth and buttery. Pommes duchess elevates a shepherd's or cottage pie and individual swirls make an attractive side dish. Admittedly, they are a little fussy because you need to break out the piping bag, but as an occasional indulgence they are worth the effort. What's your favorite (French or not) way to make potatoes?