It's Good Though…

Pommes De Terre Fondantes

Yield: 4

Serious Eats

If you have a batch of gelatin-rich homemade stock stored in your freezer, use that. Otherwise, go with our standard method for lending richness to thin, store-bought broth by enriching it with unflavored gelatin. Bring everything to a boil, then transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. The potatoes soak up a good amount of the stock, which also reduces into a spoon-coating sauce. Once the potatoes are fully tender, remove them to a serving platter and finish the sauce on the stovetop, adding a little more stock if needed to achieve a smooth emulsion. This is a simple showstopper of a side that proves that French doesn’t have to mean fussy.

• 1½cups homemade chicken or beef stock, or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
• ¼oz (2½ tsp; 1 packet) unflavored gelatin, such as Knox
• 2½lb Yukon Gold potatoes, about 2½ to 3 inches long each, peeled
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2TBS vegetable oil, beef fat, schmaltz, or duck fat (see note)
• 4TBS unsalted butter
• 3medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1TBS fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Place stock in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top. Set it aside.

Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends of potatoes to give them flat sides, then halve potatoes crosswise. Pat them dry with paper towels.

In a 12-inch stainless-steel straight-sided sauté pan or skillet, or cast-iron skillet, heat oil or fat over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and add to skillet, broad side down, in a single layer with space between each piece. Cook, without moving, until potatoes begin to brown around edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue to cook, rotate and swirl pan gently to promote even browning and prevent sticking, until potatoes are deeply browned on bottom side, 3 to 4 minutes longer, adjusting heat as needed if some of the piece’s brown too quickly.

Using a thin metal spatula, flip potatoes onto the second flat side. Add butter and cook, swirling constantly, until butter is melted and begins to foam, about 1 minute. Add garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add stock and bring it to a boil.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast until potatoes are completely tender, offering little to no resistance when poked with a paring knife, and liquid is reduced to a saucy consistency, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Return skillet to stovetop. Using a thin metal spatula or tongs, transfer potatoes to a serving platter, broad side up, leaving sauce in the skillet, discard garlic. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat and cook, swirling and stirring constantly, until sauce is emulsified, 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the emulsion appears broken or sauce is too thick, add more stock or water, 1 TBS at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour sauce over and around potatoes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using, otherwise season with a little more kosher salt) and serve.

Notes:

If you happen to have any schmaltz, rendered beef, or duck fat available, we recommend using it for browning the potatoes in place of vegetable oil.

Make-ahead and storage:

This dish is best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat with additional stock, up to ¼ cup to loosen and then re-emulsify the sauce.

Yield: 4 to 6

Adapted from: Serious Eats

We’re all familiar with American and German potato salads, but less so with their Austrian counterpart, a lighter, brighter version of the dish that’s simultaneously more refreshing (there’s no mayonnaise in it, and relatively little fat overall) and deeper in flavor, thanks to the incorporation of chicken broth and the savoriness it brings.
Storing potatoes in the refrigerator allows enzymes to convert starches to sugars, giving the potatoes a hint of sweetness and a creamier texture.
Peeling and slicing the potatoes before cooking helps them cook more evenly, while boiling them along with their skin adds back some of the skin’s earthy flavor.
Adding vinegar to the potatoes immediately after cooking allows the vinegar to penetrate more deeply.
Chicken broth adds savory depth to the dressing.

• 2lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices, peels reserved separately (see note)
• Kosher salt
• 3TBS white wine vinegar, divided, plus more to taste
• ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1TBS Dijon mustard
• ¾cup minced red onion, from about 1 small onion
• 2TBS minced fresh chives
• ½cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 2tsp sugar
• Freshly ground white or black pepper

Place sliced potatoes in a large saucier or Dutch oven and cover with water. Season generously with salt. Place potato skins in a fine-mesh strainer and place on top of pot. Add just enough water to submerge potato skins. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard potato skins, drain potatoes, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with 2 TBS vinegar and set aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

Add remaining vinegar, olive oil, mustard, red onion, chives, chicken stock, and sugar. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, roughly stir and fold mixture so that potatoes release some starch and liquid begins to thicken a little. Season to taste with salt and white or black pepper. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. (If resting longer than 4 hours, cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator.) Stir again vigorously to thicken dressing; it should have a loose but not soupy consistency. If it’s too thick, thin it out with a little extra water or chicken stock and re-season. Serve cold, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 2-3

Adapted from: Food Network

The best air fryer French fries are made with the right kind of potatoes: Beneath their thick skins, russets are packed with starchy flesh that is often described as “fluffy.” Aside from sounding adorable, that means fries with soft and tender insides. For golden and crunchy outsides, be sure to rinse away excess starch from the cut potatoes: simply give them a quick, cold shower, or for extra crunchy fries, you can soak them in water overnight in the fridge. Drain and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible. Your air fryer will do the rest: a fan and heating element combine to force hot air all around the potatoes for crunchy-tender fries with only a slight coating of oil.

• 1lb medium russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 1tsp olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prep:

Preheat air fryer to 380°F. (375°F in my combo unit.)

Cut the potato in half lengthwise, then into ¼ to 3/8-inch slices. Cut the slices into ¼ to 3/8-inch sticks. Put the fries in a medium bowl and rinse them well with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Toss the fries with the oil in a medium bowl, then sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and several grinds of pepper.

Air Fry:

Working in batches, if necessary, put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket with no overlapping and cook, turning them halfway through, until golden-brown and crisp, 14 to 16 minutes (20 minutes for 3/8-inch fries in our combo unit). Remove and season with salt.