The best mashed potato recipes to accompany your festive dishes (and make a change from classic mashed potatoes).

Yet purée deserves its rightful place on a festive table. It adds sweetness and balance, and often calms rich or highly aromatic dishes.

Contrary to popular belief, a festive purée is not just a mountain of butter and potatoes. It's all a question of choice of ingredients, texture and seasoning. A well-worked purée enhances meat or fish without stealing the show.

It's impossible to talk about mashed potatoes without starting with the great classic. But this Christmas, we're revisiting it.

A truly festive mashed potato is distinguished by its texture. Smooth, silky, almost airy. Choose starchy potatoes, mash them while still warm and gradually add butter and hot milk. Nothing revolutionary, but the secret lies in patience and precision.

To give it a little extra soul, a few simple options make all the difference: a touch of freshly grated nutmeg, a little heavy cream or, for special occasions, a hint of truffle or perfumed oil.

It's often the simplest purée that brings out the best in poultry or roasts.

Sweet potato purée seduces with its warm color and natural sweetness. A perfect accompaniment to white meats, duck or even roasted fish.

Its slightly sweet flavor allows you to play with contrasts. A hint of ginger, a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of mild chili pepper will liven things up without weighing them down.

The texture should remain unctuous, almost velvety, without being sticky.

This is an excellent alternative for bringing color and lightness to the plate.

Often underestimated, celeriac is nevertheless a star of refined meals. When pureed, it offers a subtle, slightly nutty flavor that goes perfectly with roasted meats and characterful dishes.

To soften its taste, it can be combined with potatoes or a little cream. When properly processed, it produces a fine, elegant purée that is never heavy.

It's the ideal purée if you want to impress without overdoing it.

Less well-known than carrots or sweet potatoes, parsnips nevertheless deserve their place on a festive table. Its delicately sweet, almost aniseed-like flavour is truly original.

Puréed, it goes very well with white meat or fish. A little butter, a touch of cream, and sometimes a squeeze of lemon are enough to balance the whole.

It's a purée that intrigues, but seduces from the very first bite.

There's nothing ordinary about carrots when they're well prepared. Puréed, it becomes soft, slightly sweet and very comforting. It's the perfect accompaniment to roasts, duck breast or even festive vegetarian dishes.

To avoid a bland purée, don't hesitate to season with cumin, ginger or a touch of orange. The result is both simple and delicious.

Often chosen for its lightness, cauliflower purée is a perfect addition to a hearty holiday meal. Its melt-in-the-mouth texture and mild flavor never overwhelm the main course.

A little cream, a hint of butter and careful cooking are all you need to create a fine, elegant purée. For extra character, add a little Parmesan or a touch of nutmeg.

It's the perfect accompaniment when you want to lighten up the overall meal.

Whichever recipe you choose, certain rules remain essential. Vegetables must be well cooked, but not waterlogged. Mashing should be done while hot, without excessive blending, to avoid an elastic texture.

Fat is added gradually, while still hot, to obtain a smooth, homogenous purée. Above all, taste, adjust and refine.

A successful purée is above all a question of texture.

Well-chosen and well-prepared, it becomes a real asset on the plate. Mild, fragrant, elegant or comforting, it enhances festive dishes without ever weighing them down.

So this year, why not give purée the place it deserves on your festive table?