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These fancy spuds turn ordinary potatoes into high-end treats with a crunchy outside and melt-in-your-mouth buttery middles. I learned this method during my chef training and have tweaked it for family gatherings over the years.
The first time I cooked these was for a Christmas dinner when I needed something fancier than regular mashed potatoes. Everyone thought I'd spent forever in the kitchen because they looked so impressive, but the process is actually pretty simple.
Ingredients
- Yukon gold potatoes: They've got that naturally buttery taste and firm texture that works perfectly with this cooking style
- Avocado oil: It can handle really hot temperatures without smoking, better than olive oil would
- Butter: Gives that amazing rich taste - try fancy European butter if you want even more richness
- Fresh garlic and herbs: Some rosemary and thyme add wonderful smells while they cook
- Vegetable stock: Makes steam in the oven that helps get that super soft middle
- Salt and pepper: That's really all you need to make the potato flavor pop
Cooking Walkthrough
- Get the potatoes ready:
- Slice Yukon golds into 1-inch thick circles, then use a cookie cutter to make perfect cylinders. This makes sure they cook evenly and look fancy. Don't throw away the leftover bits - they're great for breakfast potatoes or mash.
- Give them a bath:
- Drop the cut potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes to wash off extra starch. This stops them from sticking and helps them brown better. Make sure to dry them completely before cooking or they won't sear right.
- Brown the bottom:
- Get avocado oil hot in a steel pan until it shimmers, then turn down to medium before adding the potatoes. Put each cylinder flat side down and don't move them for 3-5 minutes until they're deep golden. You need to be patient here - don't fidget with them too early.
- Flip and brown again:
- Sprinkle some salt on the browned tops, then carefully turn each potato using tongs. Brown the second side for another 3-5 minutes. The magic of this dish is the contrast between the crispy outside and soft inside.
- Get rid of extra oil:
- After both sides are golden, turn off the heat and carefully soak up as much oil as possible with paper towels. This makes room for the butter and keeps the final dish from being too greasy.
- Add flavor boosters:
- Put the pan back on medium heat and throw in butter, garlic and fresh herbs. Let the butter foam up but not brown, then use a spoon to drizzle it over the potatoes for about a minute. This packs them with rich flavor.
- Finish them off in the oven:
- Pour vegetable stock into the pan (watch out for steam!), then put the whole pan in your preheated oven. The stock creates steam that cooks the centers until they're velvety soft while keeping the tops and bottoms crispy. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a knife slides in easily.
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What I love most about these potatoes is how they turn basic ingredients into something really special. Last Christmas, my mother-in-law actually asked for these instead of her usual mashed potatoes—that's when I knew they were a hit!
Picking The Right Pan
Stainless steel pans work best since they brown things evenly and can go straight from stove to oven. Cast iron's good too, but don't use nonstick pans as they won't let that important crust form. You want a pan that stays hot and creates a surface where potatoes can get that beautiful crust without sticking too much.
Prep Them Early
Though these potatoes taste best right out of the oven, you can do some prep ahead of time. Shape your potatoes up to a day before and keep them underwater in the fridge. This stops them from turning brown and actually helps their texture by removing starch. When you're ready to cook, just dry them well and follow the recipe. For dinner parties, I often do the searing early then finish them in the oven right before we eat.
Try Different Flavors
Rosemary and thyme are classic choices, but feel free to play around. Try sage with brown butter for a fall feeling or add lemon zest and parsley for something lighter in spring. You can also use chicken stock instead of vegetable or add some white wine to the pan before the stock. Each switch keeps that amazing texture contrast but brings new flavors to the table.
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Fondant potatoes will make any meal feel special, they're that perfect combo of fancy yet simple in every bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why soak the potatoes in cold water before cooking?
Cold water soaking gets rid of extra starch on the outside, helping the potatoes get crispier when you cook them. It also stops them from turning brown and keeps them from sticking to your pan when you start cooking.
- → Can I use different herbs for fondant potatoes?
You sure can! Rosemary and thyme work great and are the classics, but try sage, oregano, or tarragon too. Fresh herbs work better than dried ones here since they really flavor the butter as it coats the potatoes.
- → Why use Yukon gold potatoes specifically?
Yukon golds have just the right mix of starch and water for this dish. They already taste a bit buttery on their own, and they keep their shape while getting super creamy inside during cooking. You can try Russets but they'll feel a bit different when done.
- → What can I serve with fondant potatoes?
These fancy potatoes go great with roast beef, lamb, or chicken. They taste amazing next to a nice piece of fish too, or with other roasted veggies if you want a meal without meat. Don't forget to pour that tasty herb butter all over your plate.
- → Can fondant potatoes be made ahead of time?
They taste best fresh when they're still crispy, but you can do the first browning step ahead of time. Just put the browned potatoes in the fridge, then finish with the butter and oven part right before you want to eat them. They might need a few extra minutes in the oven if they're cold from the fridge.
- → Why use a stainless steel pan instead of non-stick?
Stainless steel makes those tasty brown bits stick to the bottom while you're cooking, and these add tons of flavor. The pan can also handle really high heat and can go straight from your stove into the oven for the final cooking step.