Fondant Potatoes are also known as melting potatoes because they literally melt in the mouth. They are extremely easy to make and some would say superior to roast potatoes served with your favorite Sunday roast. Or preferred to French fries with a juicy ribeye steak.
Potato cylinders are baked in butter and slowly braised in a rich chicken stock, which gets soaked up by the potatoes as they cook. This is what gives them their unique, delicious, creamy texture.
They are the perfect restaurant-style side dish anyone can easily make at home.
I've been making and serving potato fondants for over 20 years now. Along with luxuriously creamy mashed potatoes, and ultra crispy roast potatoes, this is one of the most popular potato dishes we produce in my professional kitchens daily.
Although the process is simple, there are a few chef tricks to get the perfect fondant potato.
Firstly, the type of potato you use is very important.
Jump to:
Best potato for fondant potatoes
We've used many varieties of potatoes for fondants over the years. I'm always looking for a good balance between a creamy texture, balanced sweetness and a potato that doesn't brown too aggressively.
Starchy floury potatoes are preferred to waxy varieties because of their ability to soak up the fats and liquids better (more flavor) and also because they don't caramelize too quickly.
However, we like using a good all-around potato like Gala or Yukon gold. Most stores will have at least one all-round, multipurpose potato on the shelves.
We like the fact that these are easily and almost always available, and they simply make the best fondant potatoes.
Ingredients
- Potatoes - Starchy variety like Maris Piper or Russets, or all-rounders like Gala or Yukon Gold. You want to use large, firm potatoes. Small potatoes won't yield good tall cylinders!
- Herbs - Classically you use thyme, but feel free to use rosemary or sage.
- Seasoning - I like to simply use salt and pepper.
- Stock - Chicken stock is classic and preferred, but of course, you can use vegetable or light beef stock instead.
- Fat - Butter is preferred, but duck fat or chicken fat makes fantastic potato fondants. We use a bit of olive or neutral oil just to start frying them and then add butter after the first flip. This is so the butter doesn't brown too early. If you want to make vegan fondant potatoes, you're best off using coconut oil.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Ways to cut fondant potatoes
- With a pastry cutter - This is the most common method used in professional kitchens. It will give you a perfect cylinder shape although, you are limited by the height of the cutter.
- With a knife - Using a knife takes a bit of practice, and you won't get a perfect round shape. If you are not too bothered by that, then by all means simply use a knife. It will still look and taste incredible.
- With a vegetable peeler - This method is for the sculptors among us. You can make a perfect cylinder this way, but it does take time and practice. You can also use a peeler in tandem with a pastry cutter to round the edges on the sides.
Watch how to make it
Instructions
Prepare - The first job is to cut the potato cylinders. The easiest way is to use a round pastry cutter. Otherwise, shape them with a knife. I used a 4 cm(1.57 inches) tall, by 5 cm(1.96 inches) in diameter cutter for this recipe, but you can go as big or small as you wish. Cut the cylinders with your cutter or another method mentioned before. Once they are cut, rinse the potatoes in clean water before drying them on a paper towel. Heat your oven to 160 °C or 320 °F.
Fry - Heat a stainless steel or other oven-safe pan like cast iron with a touch of neutral or olive oil. Season only with salt, while frying the potatoes until nice and evenly golden brown on medium heat. Do not add the pepper straight away as it will burn and become bitter. Move the potatoes around in the pan to make sure they brown evenly. I also like adding bits of thyme at this stage to start flavoring the oil. Once you flip them onto the other side, you add the butter. Caramailise them further until both sides are beautifully browned and the butter is nutty, fragrant, and foamy.
Bake - Add your stock of choice. Swirl the potatoes around and spoon over some delicious bubbly butter and stock. Add a few more thyme sprigs and place them into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, basting them every 5 minutes.
Serve - Once done, the stock should be absorbed into the potatoes, and they should be sitting in a delicious nut brown thyme flavored butter. Season with freshly ground black pepper, optionally flaky sea salt, and serve as a side dish with a juicy steak, chicken or fish.
What to serve with fondant potatoes
Fondant potatoes are the perfect side dish for most meats, fish and poultry.
It's amazing with juicy steaks like ribeye with chimichurri or bavette steak, perfectly seared salmon fillet or juicy oven-baked chicken breast.
I also love it with a fall-off-the-bone leg of lamb with creamed spinach.
If you're making a vegan version or simply serving them by themselves they are great with chimichurri sauce, Italian salsa verde or gremolata.
Substitutions
- Fat - For dairy-free or vegan you could use coconut oil
- Herbs - If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute them with dried ones. Be careful not to use too much, though. They are strong in flavor and could easily overpower. If you don't have thyme, you could use other more robust herbs like rosemary or sage.
- Stock - You might want to make vegan fondant potatoes. Simply substitute the chicken stock for vegetable or mushroom stock. I like making delicious umami-rich stock with kombu seaweed and shiitake mushrooms for my vegan guests.
Variations
- Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes or freshly chopped chili while baking to add heat to the potatoes.
- Garlic - Add smashed garlic cloves with their skin on, halfway through the baking process.
- Serving with seafood - Make a delicious fish stock or shrimp shell stock when serving with seafood to lift the intensity of flavor.
Storage instructions
Fondant potatoes are best served straight away.
You can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven or in a pan, but their quality will not be the same as freshly made.
Like many potato dishes, fondant potatoes are not suitable for freezing.
Tips for success
- Use either starchy or all-round potatoes. Make sure they are large and firm without too many blemishes.
- Be patient when frying these and move them around often to make sure they don't burn and brown evenly.
- Baste them frequently while baking.
- Only add pepper once you serve them.
- Best enjoyed straight away and never freeze and reheat.
Related potato recipes
Recipe
Best Fondant Potatoes Recipe (Melting Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 800 grams (28 oz) or 8 medium to large starchy or all- round potatoes - Russet, Yukon Gold, Gala
- 14 grams (1 tablespoon) olive oil - extra virgin
- 100 grams (½ cup) butter - cut into 2 cm or 1 inch cubes (roughly)
- 240 grams (1 cup) chicken stock - unseasoned
- 4 grams (½ tablespoon) thyme sprigs - or 2 grams dried thyme
- Salt and pepper - fine salt to season the potatoes and flaky salt to serve
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 160 °C or 320 °F.
- Cut the potatoes into cylinders, using either a small knife or a round metal cutter. No need to peel them.
- Rinse the potato under clean water, then pat dry on paper towel.
- Heat a suitably sized oven-safe frying pan or saucepan on medium heat. Add the olive oil.
- Fry the potatoes until golden brown on one side, then add the butter, and brown the other side. Move the potatoes around to make sure they brown evenly. Add the thyme before adding the stock. Add the chicken stock and give it a good swirl to combine.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, basting every 5 minutes.
- Serve - Once cooked, add frshly cracked black pepper and flaky salt before serving as a side for steak, fish, or chicken.
Fondant shaping methods
- Pastry cutter - This is the most common method used in professional kitchens. It will give you a perfect cylinder shape although, you are limited by the height of the cutter.
- Knife - Using a knife takes a bit of practice, and you won't get a perfect round shape. If you are not too bothered by that, then by all means simply use a knife. It will still look and taste incredible.
- Vegetable peeler - This method is for the sculptors among us. You can make a perfect cylinder this way, but it does take time and practice. You can also use a peeler in tandem with a pastry cutter to round the edges on the sides.
Video
Notes
- Cutter used - I used a 4 cm(1.57 inches) tall, by 5 cm(1.96 inches) in diameter cutter for this recipe, but you can go as big or small as you wish
- Potato - Starchy or all-round potatoes work best. See the post for more details.
- Pan - Use an oven-safe pan like stainless steel or cast iron.
- Storage - Best eaten straight away. It's ok reheated after 4 days in the fridge. DO NOT FREEZE!
- Nutrition information also includes the melted butter left in the pan. You can use this butter to flavor rice or mashed potatoes. Don't throw it away.
Nutrition
This site contains affiliate links. I may earn a tiny commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. By bookmarking these links you help support the upkeep of this site.
If you found this post helpful or have learned something, please comment, subscribe, and follow me on social media for more delicious recipes.
Comments
No Comments