Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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.😋
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).
✅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.
✅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.
✅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.
✅Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes.
✅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.
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.😋
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).
✅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.
✅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.
✅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.
✅Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes.
✅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.
