Looks brilliant. Since we're using clarified butter, is step 6 over high heat, medium high?

The temperature is about medium-high (as mentioned in step 5), but really when it comes to cooking. there is usually no exact temperature. It's all about adjusting the heat to achieve the results you are looking. This may mean turning the heat up or down during cooking, depending on what is happening in the pan.

Hope this helps - cheers!

For more photos, here is a post we wrote about Pommes Parisienne.

Hi Rouxbe staff -- I am a novice and have just been experimenting with some of your recipes. I made these potatoes yesterday, heated the pan (used the water test and even got the Mercury Ball...was so proud of myself), hurriedly put in the clarified butter and then added the potato balls (which I had dried with paper towels). At the point of adding the potato balls, there was MAJOR splatter -- I wanted to run away, rather than continue to add the rest of the potatoes. Hot clarified butter was everywhere. Took me 2 hours to clean my cooktop and surrounding area afterward. Though the potatoes turned out well, I'm guessing there is a way to avoid this volcanic eruption of butter in the future! Thanks for your help!!! And thank you for this great website!

Sounds like you learned some good stuff Diane. As for the splattering, you may have had a bit too much clarified butter - but then again this was not the problem.

Cooking is often just messy. When ingredients hit hot fat, the moisture from within them causes splattering. Even when I panfry, I think "gosh there is oil or butter all over my stovetop". It's just the nature of cooking.

Maybe next time you could use a bit less butter in the beginning and then once the potatoes are added you can then add a bit more butter. This may reduce the splattering a bit. You could also try using a splatter guard. I have one, but I never use it as I find it doesn't seem to work that well, but perhaps you might find it at least helps reduce the amount of splatter.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for your encouragement and your quick response! I will try using less butter at the start, as you suggested. I'll just learn to accept that messy kitchens come with along with a tasty meal! Thanks again for this wonderful website and your great work with it!

I just looked over the recipe again and figured that to stop the browning, I needed to cover the potatoes in water as I prepared them. This is what I failed to do. However, they were still delicious and lost the brown color after they cooked. I served them along with my very own Steak au Poivre recipe and sauteed asparagus. It was like eating in the fanciest, most expensive restaurant in France! I loved it!

Glad you liked the potatoes. To prevent browning, refer to the Cooking School Lesson on How to Preserve Vegetable Pigments. Browning, in particular, is covered in Topic 5. Cheers!

Next time I make these I will be sure to carefuly take each step so that they don't discolor. Again, Thanks!

I'm a super frugal person. Is there something I can do with the leftovers I get from clarifying the butter? Thanks!

The milk at the bottom, which is generally very little, could be used I suppose. As for the foam that is skimmed from the butter that can be used on popcorn or even to finish soup or even spread on toast if you like. Basically it is buttery and salty and anywhere you think that might taste good then go ahead and use it. Hope this helps - cheers!

Hi Kimberly, my name is glynnis from Malaysia, I enjoyed browsing your website on french cooking. Can I have the recipe for french breads and pastries?

Thank you very much and regards

Sorry Glynnis, this site focuses more on teaching skills and techniques through our Cooking School, rather than recipes. We do have lessons on Baking Bread in the Cooking School that you may be interested in. In the future we'll be adding more pastry-related techniques. Cheers!

I would like to make these for a dinner party side dish but would like to make these ahead (just before guests arrive) if possible. Would you recommend this? If so what is the best way to warm them before serving without overcooking them?

We do not recommend making these ahead of time. It would basically be like trying to make deliciously crisp and tender French fries ahead of time. Make them while your guests are there and you will look and feel like a rock star and you might even inspire them. Cheers!

Although I have to agree with Dawn that they taste best if made last minute, I have had success with the the following method. Because I usually make about 100 of these at a time, it is not possible to pan fry them. I shape them the day before , put in ice water so they don't discolour and then boil them gently for about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, cool and dry them and then coat them with melted butter. Refrigerate until the next day. Put them in a single layer in a roasting pan , add salt and pepper and bake at 350F until browned. (about 25 minutes) I give them a shake now and then to evenly brown them. Usually I serve these with prime rib so they can roast while the meat is resting. You could try a few and see how you like them:)

This is on top of my list of things to try next. I am so looking forward to trying this recipe. Thank you for sharing it.

Hey guys,

I love the idea of these, but wonder if there's a way to make them garlic-y without a) burning the garlic in the pan and making them bitter or b) making them soggy by adding garlic butter after.

Thanks!

I would add the garlic last minute. Turn the heat down, add some minced garlic and toss them for about 30-60 seconds or so just before serving. Cheers!

:)

Loved these as a side the first time I made them. Two nights later, I used them to make a potato "meatball" soup, hearty and exceptionally good. Plus I was able to use the left over potato pieces in the mirepoix for the soup base.

Great side dish for the holidays.

Chris- I love that you were so inventive in using the potatoes in a soup-- I bet they were great and added a nice textural element to the dish. Keep cooking! Enjoy.