Fondant Potatoes

5 from 1 vote

Fondant Potaotoes, or melting potatoes, are crispy on the outside and so creamy and flavorful on the inside for a fancy, but super simple potato side dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

4 large and long russet potatoes cleaned, peeled, ends trimmed, and halved crosswise
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 thyme sprigs
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

garnishes

fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Stand each potato cut-side up. Using a 2 inch circle cutter, cut a cylinder from each piece of potato and discard or reserve the scraps.
Transfer potato cylinders to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Place a large, oven-proof pan over medium-high heat, add remaining oil and brown potatoes, about 4 to 5 minutes, on each flat-cut side. (If potatoes brown too quickly lower the heat to medium)
Add butter, thyme and garlic to the pan and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, basting potatoes with melted butter.
Pour warm broth into pan and transfer potatoes to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove potatoes from oven and baste well with butter-stock mixture. Return pan to oven and continue to bake potatoes for an additional 20 minutes. (If all the liquid evaporates, add a little more broth to the pan, as needed).
Check the doneness by inserting a knife through the center of one of the potatoes. Potatoes should be completely fork tender. Remove from the oven.
Top with fresh thyme sprigs and sea salt flakes.

Notes

Tips for Making the BEST Fondant Potatoes

If you don't have a circular cutter, you can shape your potatoes into a round shape with a potato peeler and knife, then slice them into rounds.

We highly recommend using russet potatoes for these melting potatoes since the amount of starch in them helps create a crispy outside and buttery soft inside as they cook.

Cast iron pans work well for this recipe, but you can use any oven-safe heavy-bottomed pan.

Without opening the oven door too often, make sure to check to see that there is still liquid in the pan after the potatoes have been cooking. If it seems dry, add additional broth.

To keep the potatoes cooking, make sure the broth is warm when you add it to the pan. Cold broth will bring the temperature of everything back down, affecting the temperature and texture.

Nutrition