Simple Ingredients, Elegant Results (gf)
A French potato recipe reimagined as a plate
Fondant Potatoes sound tricky. Pommes Fondantes sounds impossible. How about Braised Taters?
Usually a side dish, fondant potatoes are a delish preparation that leaves you with all the textures: crispy on top, melting in the middle. I’ve been wanting to make them for a while now. Fortunately I found myself with a bunch of potatoes from my CSA and a few other ingredients that made it into this dish. My wife’s reaction when we had this for dinner a few days ago let me know I had to share it with you.
Active time is about twenty minutes, total time is approximately an hour and change.
Braised Potatoes with Brussel Sprouts and Beef Dumplings (gf)
4oz ground beef, kept cold
8 potatoes, roughly the same size, topped and peeled
1c Brussel Sprouts, left whole
5/6 garlic cloves, left whole
1 stick unsalted butter
herbs
2c stock (I used veggie scrap stock)
optional
pickled fennel
peppadews
Preheat your oven to 425.
The most difficult part of all the prep will be the potatoes. But I simplified that as well. Pommes Fondantes requires the chef to chop off the top and bottom of the potatoes to make two flat sides. I’m going to have you do that. The you peel the potatoes. Do that as well. The French would then have you use a round and cut the potatoes into perfect little cylinders. I don’t have “wasting potato” money, so we’re going to leave them peeled.
Throw them in a bowl with water while you prep everything else. This will help remove more starch from them. It is also an optional thing to do. I’m not going to stop you from making this recipe if you don’t do that.
If your Brussel Sprouts are still attached to the stem, remove and wash them.
If your garlic is whole, remove the cloves from the bulb, and peel them.
Remove your potatoes from the water, if you soaked them, and pat them dry.
I used a cast iron skillet for this recipe, and think it is probably the easiest thing to make this dish in. That said, if you have skillets that can go in the oven, use them. If you don’t, cook everything and I’ll mention at what step you can transfer everything into a 9x9 pan.
Heat your cooking vessel on high. I like to see my cast iron starting to smoke before I add any fat. While you are waiting for the skillet to heat up, season one end of the potatoes with salt and pepper. This is the side that will be against the skillet when you start cooking.
Once the skillet is hot enough, and a bit of oil to the bottom so the potatoes don’t stick, and place the seasoned side down. Season the cut side that is facing you with salt and pepper. Then walk away. I mean it. Just leave the entire thing alone for six to eight minutes. Shake the skillet once to make sure the potatoes aren’t sticking. If they are sticking, give them another minute or two.
When the potatoes are ready, flip them. Add a stick of butter to the skillet, the Brussels, herbs (tie some thyme sprigs and parsley), and two cups of stock.
Working quickly, take your ground beef from the fridge. Aim to make eight, half-ounce dumplings. They don’t need to be seasoned. Just make little balls of beef and add them to the mix. If you are moving everything to a baking dish, wait to do this until everything is ready to go into the 9x9 pan. We don’t have to worry about them falling apart if we press them firmly into balls, especially as they are cold going in.
At this point, add the garlic cloves as well.
Get everything bubbling. Once everything is nice and hot, put the skillet into the oven.
If you are putting everything into the 9x9 pan, I’d gently move the potatoes with tongs, and then “dump” the butter and everything else on top. This is also when I’d add dumplings and garlic.
Now you just have to wait forty minutes. Your house is going to smell really great. It will be hard to wait forty minutes. Go for a walk or something.
When everything is done, remove it from the oven. The potatoes will have absorbed most of the stock and butter leaving you with a bit of a pan sauce, but not too much.
Divide and arrange things so it looks nice. I don’t ask for much, so could you do that for me? Thanks.
I finished the plate with some picked fennel and peppadews. Now, I recognize not everyone has pickled fennel and peppadews laying around, so perhaps throw on some pickled red onions. Something with an acidic kick as this dish is incredibly beefy. In fact, I was quite shocked at just how meat-tasting this dish was given how little beef was used.
If you make this, let me know. The pay off is totally there. As always, if you have any questions drop them below and I’ll see if I am smart enough to help you ;)