French Fondant Potatoes

The first time I heard about Fondant Potatoes was when I was a student at the Paris Cordon Bleu School in 2012. I was becoming a little bored with the usual potato dishes- i.e. mashed, baked and scalloped, etc- so I was happy to learn a new potato recipe- and it was pretty easy, too!

French Fondant potatoes, or pommes de terre fondants, are known for their crispy golden exteriors and contrasting creamy interiors. The potatoes are first cut into uniform round shapes, fried on the stove top in garlic and butter, then baked in the oven in chicken stock until the insides are tender. This makes a great side dish, but truth be told, it tastes so good that it almost could be considered as a main dish!

For this dish, it’s important to use a starchy potato, like a Russet. It’s also important to first fry the potato rounds until they are nice and crispy, but without burning them.

First, slice off each end of the potato, then peel and shape into a uniform cylinder. Then slice horizontally into rounds 1-2 inches thick. (I prefer making thinner 1-inch rounds). Tip: in order to achieve the perfect round shape, I used a small cylinder ‘cookie cutter’ after slicing into the 1-inch rounds).

Next, fry the potato rounds in oil over medium-high heat until crisp and golden. Add garlic, thyme and butter and combine.

Add the chicken stock and Bay leaf and transfer the pan to a pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the insides of the potatoes are soft (you could also transfer the ingredients to a casserole dish for baking, if desired).

Tip: after adding the chicken stock, the liquid should reach about 3/4 the level of the potatoes.

If you’re a fan of potatoes, garlic and butter, you’ll love this dish! Stay tuned for next week’s recipe, Steak with Bordelaise Sauce and Fondant Potatoes.