Fondant Potatoes and Leeks
Fondant potatoes, a classic French technique, are perfect potato cylinders, first browned and then roasted in stock. I love preparing potatoes like this when craving something a little extra special, decadent, and texturally interesting. One day, I had the idea to include some leeks in the dish, since they can be cut into very similarly-shaped cylinders, and I’ve never gone back since. The leeks turn out melted and succulent, and they complement the potatoes very nicely. This recipe is perfect for the winter, with its deep, comforting flavors, and I hope that you’ll give it a try sometime this season!
Fondant Potatoes and Leeks
serves 3-4
6-8 small-medium Russet potatoes
2 large leeks
olive oil
sea salt
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Miyoko’s original cashew butter)
2 garlic cloves
4 sprigs thyme, divided
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups hot vegetable broth, plus more if needed
flaky salt, for garnishing (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
Peel the potatoes and cut the ends off each potato, so that you have 1 1/2” tall potato cylinders.
Cut the green tops and root end off the leeks and set aside. Check the leeks for grit and wash thoroughly. Cut the leeks into 1 1/2” tall cylinders, just like the potatoes.
Heat a 12” cast iron skillet (or any other, oven-safe, non-sticky skillet of a similar size) over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the potatoes and leeks to the skillet, flat side down. Use tongs to gently move the potatoes back and forth in the oil a couple of times, to prevent sticking. Let the undersides of the vegetables brown for 5-6 minutes (the potatoes will become golden, while the leeks will become charred during this time). Sprinkle the vegetables with a pinch of salt, then use tongs to turn them over. Let the other side brown/char for 5-6 minutes.
Sprinkle the vegetables with another pinch of salt. Add the butter, garlic, 3 sprigs of thyme, and plenty of black pepper. Let the butter melt, then baste the potatoes and leeks with the butter by carefully tilting the skillet and spooning the butter over the vegetables. Carefully add the hot broth. Transfer the skillet to the oven and let cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the potatoes and leeks are soft all the way through, when pricked with a knife. Add another splash of broth if the skillet starts looking too dry at any point. There should be a small amount of concentrated broth left in the skillet at the end of cooking.
Serve the potatoes and leeks warm. Spoon some of the concentrated sauce from the skillet over the vegetables and garnish with the remaining thyme and flaky salt, if using.
Notes
Try to choose potatoes and leeks of a generally similar shape/size for this dish. If you can only find larger potatoes, you might be able to get two 1 1/2” cylinders out of each large potato.
The potato ends can be saved for mash, to use in soup (like a minestrone), or to roast. The leek tops can be saved for making vegetable broth.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
This recipe is a great example of a two-step cooking process, (browning, then roasting in flavorful liquid), which leads to maximum savoriness. Browning = flavor, so taking that extra step to brown the vegetables is very much worth it, especially when cooking for special occasions or craving extra-savory fare. This kind of technique can be applied to so many other vegetables: cabbage, fennel, onion, peppers, sweet potatoes, and carrots come to mind.