Fondant Potatoes
Another one of my favorite techniques for cooking potatoes. This classic technique produces a beautifully rich and creamy interior. But the real icing on the cake is the crispy exterior. The contrast in textures is amazing and not quite like any other potato recipe I've tried. I would highly recommend you try this next time you're looking for a potato side dish!
Active Time: 25 min
Total Time: 50 min
Ingredients
> 2-3 large russet potatoes
> Thyme (4-6 sprigs)
> Salt, pepper
> Vegetable oil
> Butter (1-2 tbsp)
> Chicken stock (1/2 cup)
Instructions
1. Cut the potatoes into uniform, cylindrical shapes. Do this by first cutting off the rounded ends, then running your knife down the ends, removing the skin and smoothing out the edges. Cut each potato into 2 (or 3 if using very large potatoes) pieces.
2. Rinse the potatoes under cold water to remove any excess starch on the surface. Then pat very dry with a paper towel.
3. Heat some vegetable oil over high heat in an oven-safe pan until the oil begins to shimmer (I use a cast-iron skillet). Any other high smoke point oil will work fine. Place the fondant potatoes into the pan, with the prettier side down.
4. Generously season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-high, and cook until the bottom is thoroughly browned (probably around 5 minutes). Flip the potatoes over, and generously season the other side with salt and pepper.
5. Using a paper towel, remove most of the vegetable oil from the pan. Add a tablespoon of butter or two, and add the thyme sprigs. Lightly baste the potatoes with the butter. Cook for another couple of minutes.
6. Once the butter begins to turn golden, add half a cup of chicken stock. Place the pan in the center of a preheated 425 degrees F oven for around 30 minutes.
7. Remove the potatoes from the oven/pan and serve. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Speaking from personal experience, make sure that you do not pour the chicken stock over the tops of the potatoes. Otherwise, the moisture will prevent you from achieving the crispy exterior that contrasts so well with the rest of the dish.
> When you take the potatoes out of the oven, they should be very tender - you should be able to easily run a fork/knife through the potato. Otherwise, continue to cook it. If you find that you are running low on chicken stock, feel free to add a little bit more as necessary.
> An unfortunate side effect is that this dish produces quite a bit of potato waste. It is important that you cut off the rounded ends so that you have two approximately same-sized flat surfaces for each of your cylinders, to achieve the crispy texture. If it bothers you a lot, you can probably find some way to trim off less potato on the long sides when making the cylinders.