The Pantry
French

Potatoes fondant

These potatoes fondant make 4 golden cylinders for 2 servings. Peeled Yukon Gold potatoes are seared in butter and olive oil, then braised with chicken stock, garlic, and thyme until the centers turn creamy and the outsides stay lacquered. The pan sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that coats each piece without turning them soggy.

Prep 15 minCook 40 minRest 5 minAdjust servings ↓
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Potatoes fondant
Photo: Kamakou · CC0. Resized for display.
~390 calper person · ~780 total
~$2.95meal total · ~$1.48 per person

Estimated calories and US ingredient costs.

For 4 servings, use a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or two 10-inch skillets so the potatoes still sit in a single layer. Do not raise the oven temperature to speed the braise, and keep the stock shallow enough to reach only halfway up the potatoes. The calorie count includes the butter and oil that remain in the finished dish; it does not assume any discarded dredging or frying oil.

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Your whole cook, in one place.

Ingredients, steps and a live timeline. Ready for 2 people.

Step timeline

Cooking order

9 left
Step 1

Shape and season the potatoes

~1 min

Shape and season the potatoes.

Heat the oven to 425 F.

Peel the 20 oz Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them into 4 even cylinders, about 2 inches tall each, trimming the sides flat if needed so they stand neatly.

Pat them very dry, then season all over with the 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Dry surfaces brown better and hold their shape in the pan.

Ingredients
  • 20 oz total for recipeYukon Gold potatoes
  • 1/2 tspKosher salt
  • 1/4 tspBlack pepper
Step 2

Brown the flat sides

~9 min

Brown the flat sides.

Set a 10-inch oven-safe skillet or braiser over medium-high heat.

Add the 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil.

When the butter foams

arrange the potatoes in a single layer and cook until the first flat side is deep golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn them carefully and brown the second flat side for 4 minutes more.

Ingredients
  • 20 oz total for recipeYukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 tbspUnsalted butter
  • 1 tbspOlive oil
Step 3

Color the curved sides and add aromatics

~5 min

Color the curved sides and add aromatics.

Stand the potatoes on their curved sides and brown the remaining surfaces for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning gently so they do not tear.

Lower the heat to medium, add the 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, and stir them around the potatoes for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Do not let the garlic darken.

Ingredients
  • 1 tspGarlic
  • 1 tspFresh thyme leaves
Step 4

Add stock and start the braise

~12 min cook

Add stock and start the braise.

Pour in the 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, scraping up the browned bits from the skillet.

The liquid should come about halfway up the potatoes.

Bring it back to a steady simmer on the stove

then transfer the skillet to the oven.

Roast for 12 minutes so the bottoms stay caramelized while the centers begin to soften.

Ingredients
  • 1 cupLow-sodium chicken stock
Step 5

Flip and finish roasting

After ~12 min

Flip and finish roasting.

Remove the skillet from the oven, carefully turn each potato with tongs or a spoon, and baste the tops with the pan liquid.

Return to the oven and roast 10 to 13 minutes more, until a paring knife slips into the centers with little resistance and the stock has reduced to a shallow, glossy glaze.

Step 6

Reduce the glaze on the stove

~2 min

Reduce the glaze on the stove.

Move the skillet back to medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Spoon the reduced butter-stock glaze over the potatoes until it clings and looks shiny rather than watery.

If the sauce is still loose, keep simmering briefly; if it looks thick enough to mound on a spoon, stop there so it stays silky instead of sticky.

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp total for recipeUnsalted butter
Step 7

Rest and serve

~120 min cook

Rest

Turn off the heat and let the potatoes sit in the pan for 5 minutes so the centers settle and the glaze thickens slightly.

Scatter the 1 tbsp chopped parsley over the top

spoon the sauce around the potatoes,

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat covered until hot through.

Ingredients
  • 20 oz total for recipeYukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 tbspParsley
Step 8

Check potatoes

After ~120 min

Check Potatoes fondant and continue when ready.

Step 9

Serve meal

~1 min

Once all dishes are cooked and ready, plate and serve the meal together.

Potatoes fondant: serve.

Potatoes fondant: serve immediately.

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Ingredients

For 2 people

  • 20 oz Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

  1. Shape and season the potatoesHeat the oven to 425 F. Peel the 20 oz Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them into 4 even cylinders, about 2 inches tall each, trimming the sides flat if needed so they stand neatly. Pat them very dry, then season all over with the 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Dry surfaces brown better and hold their shape in the pan.
  2. Brown the flat sidesSet a 10-inch oven-safe skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. When the butter foams, arrange the potatoes in a single layer and cook until the first flat side is deep golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn them carefully and brown the second flat side for 4 minutes more.
  3. Color the curved sides and add aromaticsStand the potatoes on their curved sides and brown the remaining surfaces for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning gently so they do not tear. Lower the heat to medium, add the 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, and stir them around the potatoes for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not let the garlic darken.
  4. Add stock and start the braisePour in the 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, scraping up the browned bits from the skillet. The liquid should come about halfway up the potatoes. Bring it back to a steady simmer on the stove, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for 12 minutes so the bottoms stay caramelized while the centers begin to soften.
  5. Flip and finish roastingRemove the skillet from the oven, carefully turn each potato with tongs or a spoon, and baste the tops with the pan liquid. Return to the oven and roast 10 to 13 minutes more, until a paring knife slips into the centers with little resistance and the stock has reduced to a shallow, glossy glaze.
  6. Reduce the glaze on the stoveMove the skillet back to medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the reduced butter-stock glaze over the potatoes until it clings and looks shiny rather than watery. If the sauce is still loose, keep simmering briefly; if it looks thick enough to mound on a spoon, stop there so it stays silky instead of sticky.
  7. Rest and serveTurn off the heat and let the potatoes sit in the pan for 5 minutes so the centers settle and the glaze thickens slightly. Scatter the 1 tbsp chopped parsley over the top, spoon the sauce around the potatoes, and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat covered until hot through.

Before you cook

What to get ready

Large rimmed sheet pan or oven-safe skillet as directed, spatula and oven mitts.

Cut flat, similarly sized potato cylinders and choose an oven-safe pan that fits them in one layer.

If something needs adjusting

Flat sides stick when turned

Wait until a browned crust forms, then loosen gently with a thin spatula.

Doubling the vegetables reduces browning

Use a second tray and leave gaps between pieces. Crowding holds steam around the food instead of drying its surface.

Store for later

Refrigerate cooked vegetables promptly in shallow containers. Reheat to 165°F in an oven or skillet to improve texture; keep cold dips separate.

Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep the fridge at 40°F or below; use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. USDA storage and reheating guidance.

Make the ingredients go further

Save clean potato offcuts for soup rather than discarding them.

Next use for your ingredients: Potato leek soup →

Calculate this meal with your own prices →

How to Keep Roasted Vegetables Crisp →

Cooking notes updated October 24, 2026. How we create recipes.

Tips, swaps and questions

A little kitchen know-how

Choose potatoes that are similar in width so they finish together, and use a skillet that fits them in one layer without crowding. Crowding steams the sides instead of browning them, while a pan that is too large reduces the stock too fast. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat covered until hot through.

Make it work for you

For a dairy-free version, replace the 2 tbsp butter with 2 tbsp olive oil. The potatoes will still brown, but the sauce will taste less nutty and look less glossy, so reduce the stock a little more at the end to concentrate the flavor before serving.

Use more of your Yukon Gold potatoes and garlic in lamb shank braise.

Why do fondant potatoes need both stovetop browning and oven roasting?

The stovetop builds the browned crust that keeps the cylinders intact, and the oven gently cooks the centers while the stock reduces around them. If you do only one or the other, the potatoes are either pale and starchy or browned outside but underdone inside.

Times are estimates. Check ingredients for allergens. For safe temperatures and storage, see FoodSafety.gov.

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