Simple Fondant Potato Recipe
Overview
Fondant Potatoes are cylindrical potato portions browned aggressively in butter until deeply golden on both flat ends, then finished in a bath of herb-infused stock in the oven until they are completely tender and have absorbed the fragrant cooking liquid throughout. The result is a potato with a crackling, caramelised exterior and an interior that is so soft and flavourful it seems to dissolve. The preparation is a French restaurant technique that South African home cooks have adopted enthusiastically, particularly for special-occasion meals where the elegance and specific texture of fondant potatoes earns their place alongside quality proteins and sauces.
AFN Heritage Note
Fondant potatoes are a French culinary technique (pommes fondantes) that became part of the international fine dining tradition and was absorbed into South African restaurant and home cooking through the country's engagement with European culinary traditions. The preparation reflects the French influence on the Cape Dutch cooking lineage and the ongoing South African appetite for European techniques applied to local ingredients.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Peel potatoes and shape them with a cooky cutter.
- 2
Heat a frying pan and add oil and butter.
- 3
When the oil is nice and hot, add the potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes before turning.
- 4
They should be nicely coloured on one side and lightly browned on the other.
- 5
Now make sure the more coloured side is facing up and add the thyme.
- 6
Add the beef stock mixture to the frying pan so it only comes halfway up the potatoes.
- 7
Put the frying pan on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes to soak up the lovely stock.
- 8
Make sure they're cooked through and serve straight away with a nice steak/chicken/fish.
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