It’s my favorite time of the year!
Even though I don’t celebrate Christmas, I love the vibes that this festive spirit brings. The dazzling lights, vibrant decorations, and joyous melodies fill the shopping centers. It is always all mesmerizing! Oh, and the food! The scrumptious panettone, the delightful log cake, and a whole host of other yummies; what not to love?
I feel that potatoes are an indispensable component of a traditional Christmas side dish, much like the elves are to Santa Claus! A potato dish spells comfort to me especially if it involves butter + fresh herbs just like these delicious fondant potatoes. Fondant potatoes are a delightful French side dish that’s elegant and pretty much goes with everything on your Christmas table!
These fondant potatoes might look fancy, but they’re incredibly easy to make. Simply brown potato cylinders or thick, rustic slabs on the stove, then add some stock, garlic, and fresh herbs. Finish by adding butter, taking the dish off the stove, and popping it into the oven. Bake until the potatoes have absorbed all the deliciousness and are tender. I went for russet potatoes for this recipe as I love how they always end up fluffy.
The hardest part of this recipe is to achieve uniform potato cylinders. So basically you are supposed to skin and cut the potatoes into circles, but it’s optional. You can cut them into round thick slabs using a knife or like in my case, I used a cookie cutter as my knife skills aren’t up to par. Alternatively, feel free to skip the shaping of the potatoes and just remove the skin and cut the potatoes into thick slabs. I promise that the taste is equally delicious regardless as the flavor is the star of the show, not the shape!
If you need a show-stopping Christmas side dish, look no further. These delicious fondant potatoes are perfect for special occasions, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner, next to your grilled chicken or even plain old sausages!
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 50g salted butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled
- Peel 4 russet potatoes. Trim the ends to get flat ends. Then cut each potato into 2 or 3 rounds, depending on the size of your potatoes. I used a cookie cutter to get even rounds.
- Soak your potato in a bowl of water if you are not using it immediately.
- Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the potatoes with the salt and black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes cut-side down in a single layer and cook until golden brown for about 5 minutes. Flip the potatoes and add the garlic, butter, and thyme.
- Cook for a few minutes. Add the chicken/vegetable broth.
- Remove the garlic and bake until the potatoes are fork tender and lightly browned on the sides for about 30-40 minutes. Halfway through baking, you can baste the potatoes with the pan juices.
- Once the potatoes are tender and the stock has evaporated, garnish with more fresh thyme. Drizzle with the remaining butter in the pan before serving.
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