Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 700 g small white potatoes, halved
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, quartered
- 4 garlic, smashed
Braising Liquid
- 500 ml chicken broth, warm
- 5 fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 248 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 786 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 3 mg
- Potassium
- 815 mg
- Calcium
- 42 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 45 mg
- Phosphorus
- 132 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 2.2 mg
- Folate
- 37 mcg
- Water
- 281 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F.
Halve the potatoes, quarter the shallots, and smash the garlic cloves on a cutting board using a chef's knife.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the potatoes cut-side down in the skillet and sear undisturbed until a deep golden brown crust forms, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the quartered shallots and smashed garlic to the skillet, cooking for 2 minutes until they become fragrant and begin to soften.
Pour the warm chicken broth into the skillet. Add the fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a rapid simmer.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife and the broth has reduced to a thick, savory glaze that coats the bottom of the pan.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 minutes. Discard the spent thyme stems and bay leaf before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Searing the potatoes cut-side down creates a fond on the bottom of the pan that adds incredible depth and umami to the braising liquid.
- White potatoes are ideal for this technique. They are waxy enough to hold their shape during the long braise, but have enough starch to turn wonderfully creamy inside.
- If you want an even richer finish, stir in 15g of cold unsalted butter right as the pan comes out of the oven. Swirl it to emulsify into the remaining glaze.
- Do not discard the roasted shallots and garlic. They become incredibly sweet and buttery, serving as a delicious accompaniment to the potatoes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Texture may become slightly grainy upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat in an oven or skillet with a splash of water until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Potatoes are hard but all the liquid has evaporated
Cause: Oven temperature was slightly too high, or the skillet used was too wide, causing the broth to evaporate rapidly before the potatoes finished cooking.
Fix: Add another 120ml of hot water or warm broth to the skillet, cover loosely with foil, and return to the oven until tender.
Prevention: Use a pan that snugly fits the potatoes in a single layer, or check halfway through baking.
The finished dish is too salty
Cause: Using a standard or high-sodium store-bought chicken broth. As the liquid reduces, the salt concentration multiplies.
Fix: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the potatoes to balance the saltiness, or serve alongside an unsalted side dish.
Prevention: Always use low-sodium broth and wait to add additional finishing salt until the very end after tasting.
Cultural Context
This technique is heavily inspired by the classic French method of pommes de terre fondantes, commonly known as melting potatoes. Braising moderately starchy vegetables in rich meat stocks allows them to act like flavor sponges while developing a luxurious, creamy interior and a deeply caramelized exterior.
