Classic restaurant potatoes browned, butter-basted and cooked in stock until tender.
Fondant potatoes are barrel-shaped potatoes browned in butter and oil, then slowly cooked with stock, garlic and herbs until crisp-edged and melting inside.
Make fondant potatoes when you want a restaurant-style side that feels special without needing many ingredients: golden, glossy, buttery and soft enough to cut with a spoon.
steak, roast lamb, duck, chicken, mushrooms, pan sauces and French-inspired menus
Cut peeled potatoes into cylinders roughly 5 cm wide and 4 cm high, then trim the flat faces so each potato sits level in the pan.
Heat oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the first flat side for 5–6 minutes.
Turn, add butter, garlic and thyme, then baste for 3–4 minutes as the second side colours.
Pour in hot stock to come one-third to halfway up the potatoes; it should bubble around the sides but not cover the tops.
Transfer to a 190°C oven for 25–35 minutes until a knife enters the centre without resistance.
Rest for 3 minutes, spoon over reduced buttery stock and serve with the crispest face up.
Cool leftovers quickly, store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat until piping hot. Crisp potato dishes are best refreshed in an oven or air fryer rather than a microwave.
Prepare the potato cuts, sauce or first cook stage ahead where possible, then finish close to serving so the texture stays at its best.
Most potato dishes freeze acceptably but crisp or creamy textures are best fresh. Freeze only fully cooled portions and reheat from chilled or thawed until hot throughout.
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