Fondant Potatoes (Melting Potatoes)

Ingredients

• 4 large floury potatoes (About 1.6 kg / 56 oz total; peeled. Sebago, Russet, or King Edward potatoes are suitable.)
• 0.75 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Divided; 1 tablespoon is used for seasoning and 1 tablespoon for searing.)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (Cut into 1 cm / 1/2-inch cubes.)
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs (Substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme if desired.)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth (Vegetable stock may be substituted.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F, or 180°C fan-forced. Use a heavy-based ovenproof skillet, ideally about 26 cm / 10.5 inches wide.

2. 2

   Peel the potatoes. Trim a little from both ends so each potato can stand upright. Carve each potato into a cylinder about 6 cm / 2 inches in diameter and at least 7 cm / 3 inches tall, then cut each cylinder in half to make pieces about 3.5 cm / 1.4 inches tall. Save the trimmed potato for mash, keeping it in water to prevent browning.

3. 3

   If preferred, skip precise shaping and cut the potatoes into 3.5 cm / 1.4-inch-thick slices. Use only enough pieces to fill the skillet without crowding it excessively, because too many potatoes will dilute the stock flavor.

4. 4

   Pat the potato pieces thoroughly dry. Place them in a large bowl and toss with half of the olive oil, all of the salt, and all of the black pepper.

5. 5

   Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

6. 6

   Add the seasoned potatoes to the skillet. Sear each cut side for 6–8 minutes, turning as needed, until both sides are deeply golden brown. Keep the pieces upright and avoid moving them unnecessarily while each side browns.

7. 7

   Add the butter and thyme sprigs to the skillet. Once the butter has melted, spoon the foaming butter over the potatoes repeatedly to baste them.

8. 8

   Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. The stock should come partway up the potato pieces.

9. 9

   Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife.

10. 10

    At the 15-minute mark, spoon the buttery stock over the potatoes to baste them. Continue baking until the stock is mostly absorbed and only a buttery sauce remains in the skillet.

11. 11

    Baste the potatoes once more with the remaining butter sauce. Transfer them to a serving platter or individual plates and pour over every drop of the sauce before serving.

Notes

For easier shaping, use a 6 cm / 2-inch cutter or a potato peeler; precise cylinders are optional and thick, evenly sized slabs work well. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months, although the potatoes are best freshly made. Serve with steak, béarnaise sauce, and buttered peas, or alongside simply cooked fish or chicken.

Nutrition per serving

• side dish
• vegetarian
• French
• seared
• oven-baked
• gluten-free
• elegant
• comfort food