Pommes Fondant
Fondant Potatoes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Cut off ends of russet potatoes on end, and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 4 potato cylinders about 2 inches long
- Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch from outsides; pat dry with paper towels
- Place a heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat. Pour in oil; heat oil until it shimmers
- Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil, lower heat to medium-high heat, and pan-fry potatoes until well-browned, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper
- Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a paper towel held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the skillet. Add butter and thyme sprigs to skillet
- Pick up a thyme sprig with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top of the potatoes. Cook until butter foams and foam turns from white to a pale tan color. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into skillet
- Transfer skillet to preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add 1/4 cup more stock and let cook 10 more minutes
- Place potatoes on serving platter and spoon thyme-scented butter over potatoes. Garnish with thyme, let cool 5 minutes before serving