Fondant Potatoes Recipe with Russet Idaho® Potatoes (2024)

Fondant Potatoes, or Pommes Fondant, is an amazing recipe using russet Idaho® potatoes which are cut into cylinders and seared to golden perfection. They’re then cooked in a rich stock with garlic, butter and herbs, to ensure a smooth creamy texture inside, with an amazing aroma. This dish has the definite “wow” factor and would be a show stopper on your Holiday table.

If you’re looking for other amazing recipes with Idaho® potatoes to put on your Holiday table, you may like these Potatoes Boulangere or Greek Lemon Potatoes.

I partnered up withIdaho® Potatoes Commission to bring you this amazing Fondant Potatoes.

What Are Fondant Potatoes

Fondant Potatoes is a French method of preparing potatoes. They’re first cut into cylinders or little barrels, then they are seared with butter on both sides and simmered on low and slow in the chicken broth, with aromatics like garlic and fresh herbs until they’re soft and creamy inside.

This method for cooking potatoes produces a really outstanding result. The edges are crispy and very flavorful from the butter, and the inside is super tasty and melting after it’s simmered in the stock. You will never get this kind of taste and texture either by simply boiling potatoes in the water or by roasting them. This method essentially combines both methods with the enhanced flavors.

Caution: the aroma in your house will be so mesmerizing that you won’t be able to resist these potatoes once they are out of the oven…

What Potatoes are Best for Fondant Potatoes Recipe

Absolutely the best potatoes for this Fondant Potatoes recipe are russet Idaho® potatoes. Their shape and texture are amazing for this recipe.

It’s almost like this recipe was intended for the russet Idaho® potatoes. You can cut them into cylinders and their texture produces really nice, soft potatoes on the inside.

What Do I Need in Order to Make Potatoes Fondant

The beauty of classic French recipes is the simplicity of their ingredients. Here’s what you will need to buy in order to make these Fondant Potatoes:

• Russet Idaho® potatoes;
• Unsalted Butter;
• Olive Oil;
• Garlic;
• Fresh Rosemary;
• Fresh Thyme;
• Chicken Stock;
• Salt & Pepper.

How to Cut Potatoes into Cylinders

The process of cutting potatoes into cylinders for this Fondant Potatoes recipe is pretty easy. You’ll need to cut the endings off both sides so that they can stand. Then, gently peel the skin and cut them in the half.

You can leave them like this in the cylinder shapes, or you can take them up a notch and trim the edges of one side for more of a barrel shape.

How to Make Potatoes Fondant

Here are some step by step photos depicting how to make these Fondant Potatoes. For the exact instructions, with ingredient measurements, cooking times and nutritional values, please scroll down to the printable recipe card.

Step 1: In order to achieve a crispy potato texture on the outside and a soft creamy texture on the inside, you may want to remove some of the starch by placing your potatoes in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes. Then pat them dry. You may season them now with salt and pepper, or do it later once they’re cooking in the skillet.

Step 2: Heat up a heavy bottom skillet (like cast iron) and add butter and oil. Butter will give the potatoes a nice sear and taste but it can burn easily. Adding some olive oil can prevent that. You could also sear the potatoes only on the oil and add the butter once the potatoes are seared. Cook them for about 5 minutes on the first side, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, if you haven’t done so yet. Then flip and season on the other side.

Step 3: Add garlic and fresh herbs and let them cook for 4-5 minutes. Pour over the stock and transfer the skillet to the 425ºF hot oven. Bake for about 30 -35 minutes, until most of the liquid reduces and the potatoes are tender inside. (Be very careful when taking the skillet out of the oven, it will be super hot so don’t accidentally grab the handle. Also, you want to end up with about 2 tablespoons of sauce to spoon it over the potatoes. See Expert tip below what to do if you have more liquid.)

Expert tip: If you still end up with a lot of liquid in your skillet, remove the potatoes onto a serving plate and loosely cover them with a foil. Turn the heat on under the skillet and cook the sauce until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Spoon the remaining sauce over the potatoes.

Step 4: Garnish the potatoes with some fresh herbs and serve with your favorite protein.

What to Serve with Fondant Potatoes

These Fondant Potatoes can be served with any of your favorite roasts, beef, pork, lamb or poultry. Basically, anything that you would serve with mashed or roasted potatoes you can match with Fondant Potatoes.

With the holiday season around the corner, they would be a perfect addition to your turkey or ham. They might even still the thunder…

Here are a couple of my suggestions:

• Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast
• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
• Brown Sugar Pork Loin
• Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter’s Chicken)
• Chicken Provencal (With Shallots and Garlic)
• Chicken Normandy (with Apples, Cream and Brandy)
• Slow Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

Other Potatoes Recipes to Try:

• Spanish Potato Salad with Idaho Potatoes
• Polish Mushroom Soup with Idaho Potatoes
• Parsley Potatoes
• Brown Butter Dill Mashed Potatoes

For more recipes with Idaho potatoes and all the tips, information, nutritional values visit the Idaho® Potatoes Commission website.

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