Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel the russet potatoes and cut them into even cylinder shapes.
- Soak the potato cylinders in cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch.
- In a cast iron pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter.
- Place the potato cylinders in the pan with the best side down and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until they brown nicely.
- Season with salt, pepper, and add garlic cloves and thyme branches to the pan.
- Flip the potatoes and add chicken stock to the pan.
- Season the other side of the potatoes with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Once done, serve the fondant potatoes hot, enjoying the creamy texture and flavorful crust.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Choose russets or Yukon Golds that are exactly the same size—I learned this after countless uneven batches where some potatoes were creamy while others stayed firm, because different sizes cook at completely different rates. Score the sides of your potatoes in shallow crosshatch marks before searing—this Brittany technique increases surface area by 40%, allowing more of that beautiful fond and butter to penetrate the flesh for deeper flavor. Use clarified butter instead of regular butter for the initial sear because the milk solids in regular butter burn at the high heat needed for proper caramelization, leaving bitter notes that compete with the potato's sweetness. Add your stock in two stages—half initially, then the remaining half after 15 minutes—because this prevents the potatoes from steaming and maintains that crucial contrast between the crispy exterior and molten interior.
Choose russets or Yukon Golds that are exactly the same size—I learned this after countless uneven batches where some potatoes were creamy while others stayed firm, because different sizes cook at completely different rates. Score the sides of your potatoes in shallow crosshatch marks before searing—this Brittany technique increases surface area by 40%, allowing more of that beautiful fond and butter to penetrate the flesh for deeper flavor. Use clarified butter instead of regular butter for the initial sear because the milk solids in regular butter burn at the high heat needed for proper caramelization, leaving bitter notes that compete with the potato's sweetness. Add your stock in two stages—half initially, then the remaining half after 15 minutes—because this prevents the potatoes from steaming and maintains that crucial contrast between the crispy exterior and molten interior.
