Fancy French Fondant Potatoes (with video)

Fancy French Fondant Potatoes are a buttery, herb crusted, elegant French technique of roasting a potato.

“Once cooked, they are creamy on the inside with a crunchy golden edge on the outside.“

The Potato You Will Want For All Elegant Dining

There’s something wonderfully theatrical about Fancy French Fondant Potatoes. At first glance, they look like simple cylinders of potato, humble, unassuming, quiet. But the moment they hit the hot pan, they begin their transformation: crackling in butter, browning into a caramel-hued crust, then slowly surrendering into a bath of stock and herbs until they emerge tender, silky, and almost impossibly luxurious.

It’s the kind of side dish that doesn’t stay on the sidelines for long. Set them beside a roast chicken, grilled lamb chops, or a braised beef shank, and they just might steal the spotlight entirely. Their texture alone, crispy on the outside, melting and delicate within, feels like a small culinary magic trick, the type of old-world French technique that turns an everyday ingredient into something dinner-party worthy.

Humble Potatoes With A French Flair

Even better, these fancy potatoes are far easier to make than they appear. A few simple steps, a little patience, and the right amount of butter are all it takes to create a dish that feels both elegant and comforting.

The result is timeless, impressive, and outrageously delicious, proof that the French really do know how to elevate a potato into something unforgettable.

Fancy Potatoes

Is it possible for a potato to wow you with the most amazing flavor, texture and presentation? Of course, we are always looking for new recipes for the potato, and finally a few great fondant potato recipes are being considered as a ‘great recipe’ for the potato.

This recipe has long been considered a classic French side dish, and so why not a great American side dish as well! While I am not so well versed in French cuisine, I learned this technique from the master.

Potatoes

Let’s be honest, the humble potato is delicious, no matter how they are prepared, and quite easy to grow!

And while there are endless ways to prepare a potato, they are often not fancy:

Tossed in with the family Sunday roast.
Become potato pieces hidden in chicken pot pies or other meat pies.
Let’s not forget summertime’s favorite potato salad.
An all-in-one favorite meal is the twice cooked potato, with anything and everything inside.
Or mashed in creamy potatoes, of which I often add to a soup base to thicken.

Another Fancy Classic French Dish For The Potato

The good news about preparing a fancy potato dish for special occasions, such as wedding receptions or Christmas dinner, is that there are two potato recipes that are the right size to fit on the plate, and still look elegant.

These two are, the fondant potatoes recipe and another favorite, called a Dauphinoise potato.

The difference is that the fondant potato is created to stand alone, and doesn’t use a sauce to cover its attractive cylindrical shapes.

While a dauphinoise potato recipe is multiple thin layers, stacked, cooked in a cream sauce; then for a fancy presentation, a round cookie cutter is used to shape them into individual servings.

How To Make Fancy French Fondant Potatoes

Your best friend, in making the fondant potato, is going to be a large cast iron skillet!
The best type of potato to use, will be large russet potatoes or several Yukon gold potatoes.
Once the potatoes are trimmed, to give them a more cylinder shape, they need some of the starch removed for a crisper finish when cooked.
An important step is to soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for twenty minutes, or over night, and pat dry thoroughly when ready to cook.
The cooking method is easy; golden sear on the flat surface of the potato tops and bottoms, in oil and butter or clarified butter.
Olive oil is not recommended since the heat of the pan will smoke the olive oil.
Once a golden sear is obtained, the cast iron pan goes right into the oven to finish roasting.

Few Ingredients Needed For A Spectacular Dish

Russet Potatoes, starchy, sturdy, and beautifully structured, russets are the ideal choice for fondants. Their high starch content allows the centers to turn irresistibly creamy as they braise, while their firm shape holds up to the shallow frying and slow cooking that give this dish its signature contrast of crisp and tender.
Canola or Sunflower Oil, a neutral, high-heat oil ensures a clean, even sear without overshadowing the potatoes delicate flavor. It allows you to build that gorgeous golden crust before the butter joins the pan, think of it as the foundation for everything delicious that follows.
Butter is the soul of French cooking, and here it plays its part beautifully. As it melts and mingles with the thyme, it perfumes the potatoes with a rich, nutty aroma. The butter also helps deepen the color of the crust and gives the finished fondants their luxurious, almost velvety finish.
Salt and Pepper, simple seasoning makes all the difference. A generous pinch of salt enhances sweetness in the potatoes and sharpens the buttery flavors, while freshly cracked pepper brings just enough warmth to balance every bite.
Fresh Thyme brings the classic French charm. Its herbal, slightly floral notes infuse the braising liquid as it simmers, creating a subtle aromatic layer that lifts the entire dish without overpowering the potatoes’ natural flavor.
Broth, a splash of broth, vegetable, chicken, or beef, turns the pan into a tiny braising chamber. As the potatoes gently soak up the liquid, they become tender and deeply flavorful. It’s the quiet step that transforms them from crisp sautéed rounds into full, melt-in-your-mouth fondants.

Equipment Needed

Cast iron pan – a well-seasoned cast iron pan is the secret to that deeply caramelized crust. It holds heat beautifully and evenly, giving each potato its moment of golden perfection. While other skillets can work, cast iron delivers that classic French fondant finish effortlessly.
Large bowl – a simple soak in cold water helps rinse away excess starch so the potatoes brown instead of burn. A large bowl gives them plenty of room to sit, spin, and release that cloud of starch before cooking.
Flour Sack Kitchen towel – An indispensable tool in any kitchen, but especially here. These lightweight towels dry potatoes perfectly without lint, ensuring they sear instead of steam. And yes, their other daily uses make them worth celebrating: drying herbs and greens, wrapping rising dough, straining yogurt, lining bread baskets… they’re a cook’s quiet sidekick.
Cutting Board, a stable surface for trimming the potatoes into neat cylinders, giving them that elegant fondant shape.
Sharp Knife, precision matters here. A sharp knife makes clean cuts that allow the potatoes to cook evenly and look beautifully uniform in the pan.
Measuring Cup, ideal for portioning the broth so each batch of potatoes braises just the right amount.
Measuring Spoons, for seasoning with intention, salt, pepper, and any aromatics you choose to add get perfectly balanced with these small but mighty tools.
Metal Spatula, a sturdy metal spatula makes flipping the potatoes easy and helps release that crisp, caramelized surface without tearing it.
Saucepan, warming the broth before adding it to the hot pan keeps the cooking process smooth and avoids sudden temperature drops that could crack the delicate crust.
Stovetop or Burner, Essential for the initial sear and the start of the braise.
Hot Oven, the final step in achieving that melt-in-the-middle texture. A short trip to a hot oven turns beautifully browned potatoes into true fondants, tender, aromatic, and impossibly luxurious.

Cast Iron Skillets - A Home Cook's Best Friend — Cast Iron Skillets – A Home Cook’s Best Friend

Fancy French Fondant Potatoes

Fancy French Fondant Potatoes are a buttery, herb crusted, French technique that cooks them creamy on the inside with a crunchy golden edge on the outside.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: servings

Equipment

Large cast iron pan
Tongs

Ingredients

4 Large russet or Yukon potatoes
2 tbsp Canola or sunflower oil heat tolerant oil
2-3 tbsp Butter duck fat can also be used
Salt and black pepper to taste to taste
1/2 cup Broth chicken or vegetable, warmed
Sprigs of thyme or rosemary several

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF
Cut a flat side to each end of the potatoes. Stand it on one end and cut the skin off, rather than peel, with the intention of making the potato appear to be a long cylinder, cut into three pieces, which will look like large scallops, once cooked. Soak the cut potatoes in an airtight container of cold water with 1 teaspoon of salt, for at least 20 minutes (or over night).
When ready to prepare, rinse the starch from the potatoes and dry well on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.
In a hot skillet, place the oil, several tablespoons of butter, fresh thyme sprigs and the flat side of the potatoes and cook enough to get a great sear on the bottom. Using a pair of tongs, turn the potatoes upside down to sear the tops of the potatoes to look the same, about 5 minutes on the tops and bottoms. Use a spoon to drizzle the hot butter over the potatoes while browning.
Turn off the stove top, pour hot chicken broth or vegetable stock into the pan and pop it into the preheated oven quickly, no lid. Bake for about 25 minutes. Check at 20 minutes to make sure the broth has not totally evaporated. If it has, add a few tablespoon more warm broth, but it should be good. After 25 minutes, take the pan out and let the potatoes rest 5-6 minutes before serving. Garnish with a few more thyme sprigs.

Video

Notes

Having the broth hot before adding to the cast iron pan keeps the pan’s temps right where they need to be.

Author
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Robin

I am all about the gratification of the senses, and so I have become passionate about capturing the stimuli for my senses through videography and photography. Food provides some of the most alluring subject matter to capture on film, and videography does what a still shot can not do: capture sound. When you hear something sizzling, or pouring, your taste buds and sense of smell are already engaged.

I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.