Fondant Potatoes
Fondant Potatoes
I am always amazed at how many great things you can make with potatoes. My favorites list includes Pommes Anna, potato croquettes, and, of course, french fries. There are so many that we needed a good potato recipe round up page. What is even more amazing is that there is always one more way to make a great potato dish. One of the best and easiest ways is the little known Fondant potatoes. Like Pommes Anna, if you are not eating potatoes like this, you are really missing out!
It surprises me that, unlike french fries for example, that fondant potatoes didn’t make a bigger splash in the USA. Perhaps in our verve to simplify everything we just prefer to have one step cooking so we jumped right to a big love of baked or roasted potatoes. The only real difference between fondant potatoes and roasted potatoes is that the fondant spuds get browned on the stove and then roasted with a splash of stock or broth. Fondant potatoes end up having a bit of pan sauce with them. I am guessing that our lack of interest in fondant potatoes also has to do with the fact that, until recently, we didn’t really have pans that could go from the stove top to oven without a change. Multi step cooking meant more equipment and clean up. Sure, some had cast iron cookware, but that was the exception. You can cook fondant potatoes fully on the stove, but it is not the same – lots of missing roasted flavors.
As with many potato dishes, the ingredients are simple. Butter and thyme are a must, but in reality the sky is the limit. I like to add a few cloves of garlic to the butter just to give it a light garlic taste.
The two step process for cooking fondant potatoes is easy. So is the shaping of the potatoes. The potatoes are simply peeled with the ends trimmed flat. The potatoes are then cut in half to make another flat side and a big chunk of potato. It is nice to get a big chunk of potato with your meal. This is another reason I like fondant potatoes. The flat sides are browned in oil then the oil is removed. Butter is added along with thyme and garlic. I like to bathe my spuds in the butter with a spoon. The stock is added then the whole thing is roasted in the oven until the potatoes are tender.
In regards to the stock, any will do. If you want a vegetarian option, certainly use vegetable stock. Sometimes I use vegetable and sometimes chicken stock. It is a mood thing. For something more robust, beef stock could also be used, although I think it would take away from the butter and thyme and be a bit overpowering.
The video below lays out al the steps to make fondant potatoes. The recipe follows.
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (like sunflower oil)
- 1/2 stick of butter + a little extra
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
- Peel the potatoes.
- Cut the ends off the potatoes, about 1/2 inch off each end, so they have flat ends. Cut the potatoes in half across the short circumference, not the long way. The potatoes should be short and stubby with 2 flat sides.
- Peel the garlic clove and crush it with the side of a chef's knife.
- In an oven proof pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add the potatoes flat side down. Cook the potatoes until they are golden brown. Flip the potatoes. Let the second side brown.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan. Spill out any remaining oil. Put the potatoes back in the pan. Add the butter. When the butter melts add the garlic cloves and about a tsp of thyme leaves. Whole sprigs can be added. Let the butter get golden. Spoon the butter over the potatoes.
- Add the stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Place the pan in the pre-heated oven. Roast until the the potatoes are tender and the stock is reduced.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. While the pan is still hot add a dash of fresh butter and some fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the pan sauce over the potatoes. Serve hot.
I hope you enjoy!
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