Recipes Side Dish Potato Roasted Potato Recipes Fondant Potatoes 4.7 (307) 264 Reviews 96 Photos My fondant potatoes are oven-braised in a buttery, thyme-flavored sauce. The result of this old-school method? Golden brown potatoes with a crispy crust that remain rich and creamy on the insides. Serve this classic French side dish alongside roast chicken, beef, or fish. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 13, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 96 96 96 96 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Additional Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Have you been searching for a way to spice up your potato game? If so, this unique recipe for fondant potatoes is the one for you. In this highly rated Chef John recipe, you'll have crispy (yet creamy) potatoes that look and taste incredibly fancy — but are ready to serve in a little over an hour. Trust us, this will be your new favorite potato side dish! What Are Fondant Potatoes? Fondant potatoes, also called pommes de terre fondantes, is a French side dish. In this dish, potatoes are cut into cylinders, then pan-fried on both sides, then roasted in the oven in a stock and butter sauce. The result is a flavorful potato that is crispy and brown on the outside, but creamy and tender on the inside. How to Make Fondant Potatoes Admittedly, these potatoes are a little time-consuming to make — but they aren't difficult. You'll find the full step-by-step recipe below, but here's what you can expect when making these unique potatoes: Cut the Potatoes Peel and cut the potatoes into cylinders. Place the potato cylinders into a bowl of cold water to remove the starch. Pan-Fry the Potatoes Pan-fry the potato cylinders in vegetable oil until well-browned on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Sauce Add the butter and thyme to the skillet and cook until the butter begins to foam. Then add the stock to the skillet. Bake Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven and cook until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and spoon the thyme-butter mixture over the potatoes. What to Serve With Fondant Potatoes Fondant potatoes make a great side dish for meat or seafood meals. If you need some main dish inspiration, try one of these mouthwatering options: Our 15 Best Roast Chicken RecipesChef John's Best Steak RecipesChef John's Best Seafood Recipes Plus, browse our entire collection of dinner recipes. Can You Make Fondant Potatoes Ahead of Time? Sort of. You can pan-fry the potatoes ahead of time as well as baste them with butter and thyme. But you should stop after the butter begins to foam. Let the skillet cool completely, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a day. When you're ready to serve: Just add the stock and roast the potatoes in the oven as directed. How to Store Fondant Potatoes Fondant potatoes are best enjoyed the day-of. But, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Reheat them in the oven with more stock — but be prepared for less crispy and creamy potatoes. Can You Freeze Fondant Potatoes We don't recommend freezing fondant potatoes because they won't freeze or reheat well. They're best eaten the day-of. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "Have made these twice now and can honestly say that Fondants are my favorite way to have potatoes! So many ways to tweak and adjust these to suit whatever you're serving them with. Very impressive as a special side for dinner with friends and family. Almost as though someone found a way to make mashed potatoes that can hold a shape," according to dejavoodoo. "Love! Love! Love it! I made these potatoes two days ago, and now as we speak I am baking them. My husband said that from now on he will only eat potatoes fondant. The recipe is perfect as is, just be careful not to over salt them," raves julia92. "Please try this! It's worth the tiny extra bit of preparation and you end up with a 5-star presentation and a wonderfully flavorful side dish. I didn't have fresh thyme so I used fresh rosemary and it was stellar. We'll definitely be doing this one again. A plus: the parts you trim off of the potatoes can be used for hash browns the following morning. What a great recipe," says Peri. Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings 3 large whole russet potatoes 2 tablespoons high-heat-resistant vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil salt and ground black pepper to taste 3 tablespoons butter 4 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish ½ cup chicken broth, or more as needed Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cut off ends of russet potatoes. Stand potatoes on end, and peel them from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 2 inches long. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch from the outsides. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Heat vegetable oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat until it shimmers slightly. Pat dry potatoes with paper towels. Place potato cylinders with the best-looking ends into the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium-high, and pan-fry potatoes until well-browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Flip potatoes and repeat on the other 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 the 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. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Transfer the skillet to the 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 cook for 10 more minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place potatoes on a serving platter. Spoon thyme-scented butter remaining in skillet over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS I Made It Print 568 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 239 Calories 11g Fat 34g Carbs 4g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 239 % Daily Value * Total Fat 11g 13% Saturated Fat 4g 21% Cholesterol 16mg 5% Sodium 173mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 34g 12% Dietary Fiber 2g 9% Total Sugars 1g Protein 4g 8% Vitamin C 11mg 12% Calcium 27mg 2% Iron 2mg 9% Potassium 773mg 16% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.