Duchesse is a French word that indicates a salty preparation, based on potatoes, which are are either boiled or steamed, then squashed and mixed with egg yolks and grated cheese. Through the use of a cake pouch equipped with a star nozzle, the mixture is later divided into large tufts directly on the greased oven plate. Finally the two tufts are browned in the oven and used to accompany roast dishes.

The term also refers to small sweets sprinkled with almonds or to pastries made up of two "shells" (biscuits or meringues) paired with a buttercream or whipped cream in the center.