Fondant Potatoes Recipe
Fondant potatoes, also known as Pommes Fondant or melting potatoes, are a luxurious French-style potato dish that turns humble spuds into a restaurant-worthy side. With their crispy golden crusts, creamy centers, and rich buttery flavor, this fondant potatoes recipe pairs beautifully with steak, roast chicken, or any elegant dinner spread.
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Table of Contents
What Are Fondant Potatoes?
Fondant potatoes are large cylinders of potatoes that are pan-seared until golden and then braised in butter and stockuntil tender inside. The technique combines roasting and braising, producing a potato that’s crisp on the outside yet silky and flavorful within.
Fondant potatoes are proof that simple ingredients can yield extraordinary results. Crispy, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth tender — this classic French recipe transforms potatoes into the star of the table. Once you master it, you’ll want to serve it at every special meal!
Serving Suggestions
Yes, You can sear and braise them in advance, then reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes before serving.
Yukon Golds work great for their creamy texture and buttery flavor. Russets are a good as well but may be a bit drier.
Yes, Use vegan butter and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Overcooking or using overly starchy potatoes can cause this. Stick to waxy or all-purpose varieties and monitor the liquid level as they cook.
Yes, try adding shallots, sage, or a splash of white wine to the braising liquid for extra depth.
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Fondant Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 small russet potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 stems of fresh rosemary
- 3 stems of fresh dill
- 8 tbsp salted butter 1 stick
- 10-15 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1.5 Cups Chicken Stock
Instructions
- Begin by rinsing and peeling the potatoes. Peel the potatoes with a knife or peeler.
- Cut off about 1 inch from both the top and bottom of each potato. Try to make the cut even. This is to create a flat top and bottom. Shave the sides of the potato somewhat as needed to get a rectangular, even siding.
- Once you have created your shape, you can leave the potato as is or cut in half. If cutting in half, place potatoes side by side and try to get similar sizes that are 2-3 inches thick. Similar sizes will make for an even cooking between all potatoes in the pan.
- Fully submerge all peeled and sized potatoes in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes. This process will pull out the starch and assist with browning and for the potato to hold its shape.
- When the potatoes are almost finished soaking, add the oil to a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the potatoes have finished soaking, move to a dish towel or paper towels and pat each potato dry. Immediately place into the heated skillet.
- Sear the top and bottom of the potatoes to a golden brown, 3-4 minutes on each end. Do not lay the potatoes on their sides to brown. If needed, remove and add back later any potatoes that are finished browning before the others.
- Reduce the heat and add the butter to the skillet with the potatoes. Allow the butter to melt completely before adding the next ingredients.
- While the butter is melting, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Add the garlic to the pan and spoon the melted butter over each clove of garlic.
- Add the fresh rosemary and fresh dill to the pan. Keep the rosemary on the stem but pull the fresh dill from the stem. Add a few sprigs of dill to the tops of the potatoes if desired.
- Allow the ingredients to cook for 2-3 minutes on a low simmer. Flip potatoes to the opposite end as needed. Spoon butter over the potatoes. Also, flip the rosemary over in the butter to fully immerse it as everything cooks together.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan. There should be enough liquid in the pan to fully immerse the garlic, rosemary, dill, and at least the bottom ¼ of the potatoes.
- Move the skillet to the oven for 15 minutes at 400F. After 8 minutes, remove from the oven and spoon the mixture in the pan over the potatoes. Return to the oven to finish cooking. Once finished, the potato should be easily pierced with a fork. If the chunks of potatoes are large, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- As soon as the potatoes come out of the oven, spoon the mixture in the pan over the potatoes to season them further. Add sea salt
Nutrition
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Nicole Harris is the recipe creator behind WonkyWonderful, sharing fast, budget-friendly meals for busy families. Since 2012 she’s been developing 30-minute dinners, kid-approved favorites, and holiday dishes with flair - all with real ingredients and no fuss. She grew up stretching simple pantry staples into something delicious, and that shows up in every recipe: easy, affordable, and full of flavor. Read more...
