Recipes > Pommes Parisienne
These elegant French potatoes are pan fried until golden and crispy
Dawn Thomas
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Views: 167,294
- Success Rating: 86% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Preparing the Potatoes
- 4 to 5 lb Yukon gold (or other waxy) potatoes
Method
To prepare the potatoes, first peel them and place into a large bowl of cold water.
Using a melon baller, scoop out balls of potato, trying to keep the potatoes as round as possible.
Step 2: Measuring Out the Potatoes
Method
In the end, you should have approximately 2 pounds of potato balls.
Place the balls into a separate bowl and keep covered with water as you are working.
Step 3: Using the Scraps of Potato
Method
This recipe may seem quite wasteful, but the leftover potatoes can be used to make mashed potatoes, potato cakes or any number of potato dishes.
Step 4: Drying the Potatoes
Method
Just before cooking, drain the potatoes and dry them well with paper towels.
Step 5: Preparing to Cook
- 4 tbsp clarified butter, or non-dairy butter
Method
For this recipe, it is important to use clarified butter, so it doesn’t burn.
Measure out the clarified butter and then preheat a large, stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. It is important that the potatoes cook in a single layer so they color and cook evenly.
Step 6: Cooking the Potatoes
Method
To cook the potatoes, add the clarified butter to the pan. Once melted, add the potatoes and shake the pan to coat the potatoes with the butter.
During cooking, it is important to constantly swirl the potatoes in the pan to ensure they cook and color evenly. You may need to use tongs to flip some of the potatoes over, if they have a flatter side to them.
The potatoes will be done once they are golden and tender all the way through. This should take approximately 15 minutes or so. If the potatoes are golden, but not yet cooked through, you may need to turn the heat down slightly.
Step 7: Finishing and Serving the Potatoes
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
Once the potatoes are golden and cooked through, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Be careful though, these potatoes retain their heat for quite a while.
28 Comments
-
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
-
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! -
Rouxbe Staff
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
-
Rouxbe Staff
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! -
Rouxbe Staff
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. -
Rouxbe Staff
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. -
How do I make clarified vegan butter? -
Hi Alexandra, Most non-dairy butters have a much higher smoke point (which is the important factor in this recipe) than regular (whole) butter, and are more on par with clarified butter, in that regard. There are also vegan versions of ghee on the market which will do the trick here, as well. Hope that helps! Cheers, Sandy -
I made these tonight and I did not feel successful. I did get the pan to the right temp, used the clarified butter, swirled them constantly and had lots of brownining on the bottom of the pan- not on potatoes. I put them in the oven on a piece of parchment to get them to brown.
-
Hi Mikaelah, It is hard to say exactly (without being there with you) what exactly may have gone wrong, but I will say, that an often overlooked point, that is critical here, is thoroughly drying the potatoes. The moisture could have been a barrier to the butter on the surface of the potatoes creating this problem. Hopefully this clears it up and you have more success in the future. Cheers, Sandy
-
Any suggestions for making these oil-free? Thank you. -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Ernesto, if you omit oil, I suggest the use of a non-stick pan because potatoes tend to stick otherwise. (And they may even stick in a non-stick pan unless it's relatively new and free of micro-scratches.) In a non-stick pan, add the potatoes and sauté as usual. If the potatoes stick, add some water to loosen them from the pan. Allow the water to evaporate and continue browning the potatoes. If the potatoes stick to the pan, another consideration may be to use less oil. ~Enjoy! Eric
Details