Potatoes are a staple of many meals, and when done right they are a dish of their own.
Fondant potatoes, also known as “pommes de Terre fondantes”, are a French dish in which potatoes are browned and then roasted in butter and stock until they are soft and creamy on the inside and crispy and golden on the outside.
They look impressive when cooked properly and are easier to make than they look using this simple BBC Good Food recipe.
As chef and author Esther Clark shares, she urged, “Try something new with potatoes. Fondant potatoes are a chef’s favorite, flavored with rosemary and thyme. They’re wonderful as part of a Sunday roast.”
The best part is that the recipe only requires six simple ingredients. One reviewer called them “lovely” and suggested they are “definitely worth a try”.
Fondant potato recipe
Ingredients
Six medium-sized Maris Piper potatoes
One tablespoon of olive oil
200 g unsalted butter, cubed
Four large garlic cloves, crushed
Two sprigs of rosemary
Two sprigs of thyme
200 ml of chicken or vegetable broth
Method
Fondant potatoes use almost the same techniques as baked potatoes to create a soft, fluffy core and a crispy exterior.
Start by peeling the potatoes and slicing the ends of each so they are evenly spaced on both sides. Now heat the oil in a pan on low heat.
When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, cut side down, and fry the potatoes for five to seven minutes or until they are deep golden brown. Next, turn the potatoes and fry them on the other side.
Now add the butter to the pan to melt. Some who tried the recipe recommended reducing the amount of butter to about 80 grams to soften the “rich” taste. This leaves “enough sauce for each potato when served,” assured one reviewer.
Next, sprinkle the garlic and herbs around the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. After that, carefully pour the broth around the potatoes, being careful not to splash the hot butter.
Cover the pan with a lid and let the contents of the pan simmer gently for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Serve the fondant potatoes hot from the pan alongside the Sunday roast or try them as a side dish to a pie.
