This Simple Mistake Could Seriously Ruin Your Fondant Potatoes - Tasting Table

"Fondant potatoes are a true labor of love, but one that also gives back over and over again with every single bite. Also known by their French name, pommes fondantes, fondant potatoes are a classic side dish in France. It's no wonder they're colloquially known as "melting potatoes," since the French word fondant means "melting." These deeply flavorful potato rounds literally will melt in your mouth - if they're cut and cooked, correctly."

"To make sure that happens in our own kitchens and yours, we reached out to an expert on the topic, Chef Kieron Hales, Managing Partner & Head Chef at Zingerman's Cornman Farms near Ann Arbor, Michigan. But first, for the uninitiated (or slightly timid), here's a brief explanation of how fondant potatoes are typically prepared. They begin with peeled potatoes trimmed into cylindrical shapes, which get browned in butter or oil on the flat sides until crispy. Then, the spuds are transferred to the oven for braising with aromatic herbs until tender. The mistake that could seriously ruin your precious fondant potatoes is a simple one, however, requiring ordinary kitchen implements and a bit of patience. According to Chef Hales, the key is uniform cutting and sizing."

"Fondant potatoes are all about even caramelization and consistency, buttery, golden tops and bottoms, with tender centers," he explains. "Even sizing ensures every piece cooks through at the same rate. If one's thicker, it'll be underdone inside when others are meltingly soft."

Fondant potatoes are cylindrical potato rounds that caramelize on their flat sides and braise with aromatic herbs until tender, producing buttery, golden tops and bottoms and meltingly soft centers. Preparation begins by peeling potatoes, trimming ends to create flat tops and bottoms, and cutting them into even 2-inch cylinders to maximize surface area for browning and stability in the pan. The cylinders are browned in butter or oil on both flat sides until crispy, then transferred to the oven to braise with herbs. Uniform cutting and sizing are crucial to ensure every piece cooks through at the same rate.

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