How To Make Fondant Potatoes

A few weeks ago Masterchef UK started back on our screens and with it came all the need for fancier side dishes to serve with my dinner. A humble jacket potato or a pile of mash just wasn’t going to hit the spot. I had tried Fondant Potatoes a few times at restaurants and at fancy food blogger events but I had never tried making them myself. Oh wow, they are pretty amazing. Like the ultimate roast potatoes stepped up a few notches. Bronzed and fluffy on the outside and almost creamy inside with SO much flavour. There are a few steps involved so it is a process but it isn’t too difficult to achieve restaurant quality results in your kitchen. Read on to find out how to make fondant potatoes at home.

Firstly you will need large potatoes, baking potatoes such as Maris Pipers work well. Next you need vegetable oil, butter, seasoning and herbs. You can use any herbs you like or that you have an abundance of in your garden. I have used rosemary on most of my attempts. Finally you need stock, you can use any kind of meat or veg stock, I use chicken as I love the flavour it gives but I am currently experimenting with an vegetable Indian spiced stock to make some spicy fondant potatoes.

I am going to give you rough quantities for two people and you can adapt as necessary. These are also perfectly good the next day for a lazy leftovers lunch.

Fondant Potatoes

You will need:

3 large potatoes

30ml vegetable oil

50g salted butter

2 tbsp of fresh rosemary ( or other fresh herb ) finely chopped with a few sprigs left whole

200ml of chicken stock

black pepper and sea salt

Use a pan which can be used on the hob and in the oven.

Preheat oven to 220c. Peel your potatoes and cut off both ends so you have a cylindrical shape and cut each potato into two. Add your peeled potatoes to a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes to remove the starch. Remove from water and dry completely. Place your pan over a high heat and add your oil. Once oil is sizzling place the potatoes into the hot oil, reduce heat to medium and fry potatoes on one side until well browned (about 5 minutes ). Season and flip onto the opposite end. Carefully drain the oil away or use kitchen roll to blot away. Add your butter and rosemary, baste your potatoes with butter regularly and cook until the foamy butter is a pale brown colour.

Season again and add 150ml of your stock into the pan and transfer pan to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes before adding the remaining stock and returning to oven for 10 minutes. Serve the potatoes with the buttery stock poured drizzled on top.

Look out for my Indian spiced fondant potatoes coming up soon.

I’m linking this recipe up to One Potato, Two Potato hosted by Utterly Scrummy and Family Friends Food.