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Fondant potatoes are something really special, with a fluffy, soft interior, crisp top and a crunchy, slightly chewy base that’s packed with flavour from the stock, butter and garlic.
They really are eyeball-rollingly delicious!
And you know what? I think they’re actually simpler to make than regular roasties.
“It all worked extremely well, delicious. I like the way you present the recipe, thank you.”
Nicky’s Notes
Fondant potatoes (a French classic) are simply large potato cylinders seared in fat, then finished in the oven with stock, butter, and aromatics. I love them because they bring maximum drama but are easier than you might think.
It’s true – they are a bit ‘cheffy’ but we all like to show off in the kitchen every now and then don’t we?
During my testing of this recipe Chris and the kids declared that we should have these posh potatoes with our Christmas dinner.
There were lots of satisfied ‘Mmmmmms’ and ‘Ahhhhhs’ – which is good considering I literally just served them up a plate of potatoes for dinner. Nothing else.
Perfect for that extra special date-night dinner, a family Sunday roast or as a dish that everyone will be fighting over on the Christmas dinner table.
Table of Contents
What are Fondant Potatoes?
Fondant potatoes are potatoes peeled and cut into squat cylinders, browned in oil on either side in a pan, then roasted with butter and stock. This results in a potato that’s almost creamy in the middle, whilst being browned and crisp on the outside.
📋 What do we need?
The best type of potatoes
I use Maris Pipers – which are a floury potato. This ensures the potatoes have a lovely fluffy interior that absorb lots of flavour.
Note on the Stock:
I like to use strong chicken stock (water plus stock cubes is fine), but you can use vegetable stock if you prefer.
🔪 Abbreviated Recipe
**Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
Peel the potatoes, trim the ends, and cut into neat cylinders about 2″ (5cm) tall. Sear in hot oil for around 5 minutes per side until deeply golden. Reduce the heat, add butter, garlic and thyme, swirl for a minute or two, then baste well. Remove the garlic. Pour in stock, season with salt and pepper, and finish in the oven until tender.
Recipe Tips
Getting the Fondant Potato Shape: Peel the potatoes using a peeler or a sharp knife, then slice the ends off, so they’re flat.
You want a decent amount of surface area for the flat bits, so be sure to slice off a good amount. The potatoes should be the same width all the way along (not tapering at the ends).
Check out the underside of those potatoes. I think this is the BEST BIT, they’re slightly caramelised and so flavourful:
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It🍽️ What to serve with Fondant Potatoes
Serve topped with fresh thyme and sprinkling of Maldon salt.
- As a change from roast potatoes in that Roast Beef, Roast Pork, Roast Chicken or Roast Lamb dinner!
- With my creamy Slow Cooker Pork Casserole
- Alongside Chicken in White Wine Sauce for date night!
- With my lovely sauce Steak Diane Casserole
- With juicy slices of Slow Cooker Roast Beef
What would you serve yours with?
Make ahead and Leftovers Guide
- Make ahead: Fry the potato cylinders on both sides until golden, add butter, garlic and thyme, baste well, then cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge, take out the garlic, pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and finish in the oven as per the recipe.
- Storing leftovers: Cool quickly, then refrigerate in a lidded container for up to 2 days. Keep any buttery pan juices for re-glazing.
- Reheating: Arrange in a single layer, add a splash of stock or a knob of butter, and reheat in a hot oven (200°C/180°C fan) for 12–15 minutes, until piping hot and re-glazed.
📺 Watch how to make it
Fondant Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large, long potatoes or 8 medium-sized potatoes peeled (about 800g/1.75lbs – 900g/2lbs)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced in half
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 240 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock use strong stock if you can – I use 2 chicken oxo cubes with 240ml/1cup water.
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To Serve:
- sprigs of fresh thyme
- Maldon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
- Peel the potatoes and slice the ends off, so they’re flat. You want a decent amount of surface area for the flat bits, so be sure to slice off a good amount, so the potatoes are the same width all the way along (not tapering at the ends).4 large, long potatoes or 8 medium-sized potatoes
- Cut the potatoes into 2” tall cylinders (you should get 2 cylinders out of a large, long potato and 1 out of a smaller potato).
- Heat the oil on the hob (cooker-top) in an oven-proof frying pan on a high heat until hot. Place the potatoes in the pan, flat side down and cook for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. You may need to move them slightly a couple of times to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Turn the potatoes over, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
- Add the butter, garlic, and thyme and let the butter melt in the pan.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Stir the garlic and thyme with the butter to infuse the flavours for a minute, then baste the potatoes with the butter.
- Remove the garlic (or it will burn) and pour the chicken stock around the potatoes. Pour it in slowly and carefully as it will bubble and may splash.240 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock
- Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes.½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Check the potatoes are tender (insert a sharp knife into one of the potatoes – it should slide in easily). If they’re not yet tender, place them back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. Top up with a splash of hot stock if the pan starts to look too dry. There should only be a tiny amount of stock left at the end of cooking – giving the base of the potatoes a slight stickiness.
- Once tender, serve topped with sprigs of fresh thyme and a sprinkling of Maldon salt.sprigs of fresh thyme, Maldon salt
Video
Notes
Type of potatoes to use:
I use Maris Pipers – which are a floury potato. This ensures the potatoes have a lovely fluffy interior that absorb lots of flavour.King Edward, Rooster and Russet also work great.
Can I make them ahead?
You can partly make them ahead.Fry the potatoes on both sides, add the butter, garlic and thyme and baste them, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. On the day, remove from the fridge, remove the garlic, add the stock, salt and pepper and roast in the oven as per the recipe.
Ingredient swaps:
- Swap the white potatoes for sweet potatoes – they’ll need about 10 minutes or so less cooking time, as sweet potatoes cook quicker.
- Swap the herbs – add rosemary, lemon thyme, oregano or dried mixed herbs
How to scale up and scale down this recipe
You can halve or double the recipe, using the same quantities.If you’re halving the quantity, use a small frying pan (so the stock doesn’t evaporate too quickly). You may need to top up the stock a little towards the end of the time in the oven. Nutritional Information is per serving (this recipe serves 4).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Fondant Potato Recipe was first posted in Dec 2020. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
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Love your recipes and the very clear way you present them along with lots more information. Thank You and keep up your great recipes and all the inspiration too..
Nicky, I had just started planning Christmas Day Dinner and was actually thinking of having Fondant Potatoes rather than normal roasties and your recipe just popped up in my email inbox. Hopefully will be able to dry these out at the weekend as I love when I see them on the menu in restaurants.
Thanks and please keep the recipes coming
Andie P
I am making these tonight! I can’t wait! I just want to say how much I love that you reiterate the ingredients and the measurements in each step ! I will be a faithful follower! ❤️