Food - Drink
The Importance Of Fat For Fondant Potatoes
By SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Fondant potatoes are made by peeling potatoes and shaping them into wide cylinders before slowly baking them in butter and stock, which results in morsels with a perfectly browned exterior and tender interior. This fancy side dish actually isn't too complicated, and the key to perfect fondant potatoes is to use an abundance of fat.
You can use anything from duck fat to beef tallow to cook fondant potatoes, though the classic French favorite is butter. Fat not only makes potatoes crispy, but helps to tenderize them and maintain moisture, while also ensuring they won't be water-logged; fondant potatoes are simply not a recipe where you can experiment with using less fat.
If fondant potatoes are not made properly, you may end up serving firm, half-cooked spuds. A melting and soft texture is a direct result of plenty of fat, so choose your favorite high-quality animal fat or fancy butter, and resist the urge to reduce the amount called for in the recipe, especially if you've never tried to cook this dish before.