Herby Fondant Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Cut off ends of russet potatoes, stand potatoes on end, and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 2 inches long.
• Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch from outsides; pat dry with paper towels.
• Place a heavy oven-proof skillet (such as a cast iron skillet) over high heat. Pour in vegetable oil; heat oil until it shimmers slightly.
• Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil, lower heat to medium-high, and pan-fry potatoes until well-browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a paper towel held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the skillet. Add butter and thyme sprigs to skillet.
• Pick up a thyme sprig with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top of the potatoes. Cook until butter foams and foam turns from white to a pale tan color. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into skillet.
• Transfer skillet to preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add 1/4 cup more stock and let cook 10 more minutes.
• Place potatoes on a serving platter and spoon thyme-scented butter remaining in skillet over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Heat a large heavy-based ovenproof, flameproof pan and add the oil. Drop the potatoes in the oil and cook for 5 mins, so they are coloured. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil. Wipe the oil from the pan with kitchen paper, then return the potatoes to the pan. Put in the oven, and cook for a further 15 mins. Sprinkle over the mint and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Add the oil to a large flameproof baking tray and put in the oven to heat up.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, tip in the potatoes and their peel (for extra flavour), and simmer for 8-10 mins. Drain the potatoes and discard the peel. Leave to steam-dry for 15 mins, then return the potatoes to the pan, put the lid on and gently shake to lightly rough up the edges.
• Remove the tray from the oven and put directly on the hob over a medium heat. Add the butter to the hot oil and, using tongs, add the potatoes to the tray, one by one, turning them in the fat, leaving a little space between each. Reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Nestle the herbs around the potatoes, along with the garlic. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp sea salt and return to the oven for 1 hr, turning every once in a while, until golden and crisp.

Steps:

• To make the herby salt, put all the ingredients in a small food processor (or use a pestle and mortar) and grind to a fine salt.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin and toss with the oil, polenta, 2 tbsp of the herby salt and some black pepper. Any leftover salt will keep for up to 5 days in a small sealed container.
• Bake underneath a joint of meat, if cooking, at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 mins. When the meat comes out, turn up the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook on the top shelf for another 45 mins, shaking the tin halfway through the cooking time.