This
is one I've been trying to get right for a while, but never quite getting it
from what I thought it was or from snippets on cookery programmes, I actually
went online to find out how to do this. There are a number of different ways to
cook fondant potatoes, but essentially there are two main stages:
- Fry them in lots of butter until golden
- Boil them in stock (chicken, beef, etc. you choose!)
I’ve
used this one from the BBC Food website and, unsurprisingly for anything cooked
in lots of butter, it was delicious! I cooked 6 potatoes with intention of
having some heated up with lunch tomorrow but before I knew it, two had glided
down my throat and I hadn’t even tucked into my duck or courgettes! So, I ended
up eating it all.

Ingredients
150g butter
|
2 garlic cloves,
peeled, crushed lightly with the edge of a knife
|
4 potatoes, peeled,
cut into barrel-shapes
|
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
(or dried if not fresh!)
|
75ml chicken or vegetable
stock
|
salt and freshly
ground black pepper
|
1. Heat
the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan. When the butter is foaming, add
the potatoes and fry until deep golden-brown on one side, about 5-6 minutes.
(Do not move the potatoes as they cook.)
2. Turn
over the potatoes and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, or until golden-brown on
both sides. If you start with a low
heat, you’ll probably want to leave ‘em for ten minutes a side or more…
3. Carefully
pour in the stock, then add the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. (be careful, the
hot fat will spit and splutter when it comes into contact with the stock).
Season, to taste, with the salt and pepper. The stock won’t cover the potatoes.
This is fine. If they haven’t softened up enough quickly enough, simply turn
them over in the stock.

5. Serve
with a juicy meat (I’ve used duck breast, which is a fast and firm treat on a
weekday night!
Today’s learning:
Use a low
sided pan to do this with. I used a normal saucepan and had the devil of a time
turning the potatoes over in the butter; they get quite slippy, you know!
Recipe adapted from ‘The Hairy Bikers’: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fondantpotatoes_93087