Melted Potatoes
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Easy and quickWhat Are Melted Potatoes?
This melted potatoes recipe is super simple and ever so delicious. It is based on an old Southern technique for cooking potatoes. Melting may very well become your primary way to cook potatoes. Melted potatoes combines two cooking methods: roasting and braising. The result is crispy edged potatoes with creamy centers and a spoonable sauce.Click to download our free e-cookbook: 15 Recipes To Make You Look Like A Star
You start by roasting the potatoes on a sheet pan for 15 minutes on each side. Then you pour in some chicken broth and put them back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Be prepared for magic. These potatoes are seriously good.Pan Size Matters
I like to roast 2 pounds of potatoes on a preheated 18" x 13" sheet pan with plenty of room between each potato. Why? If you over crowd the potatoes you will get steamed potatoes and will miss out on the nice crispy edges. So I spread them out on a sheet pan with a good inch between each potato slice.
After first 15 minutes of roasting and before flip
And in case you are thinking, "that poor Kim needs a new pan" when you look at this blackened ugly sheet pan, please don't get me a new one for Christmas! I have plenty of shiny sheet pans that I use for baking. I reserve this well-worn beauty for roasting vegetables as it gets me the best vegetable caramelization. So if you have one of these in your cupboard, don't throw it out! It is a prized possession if you like roasted vegetables.Different Types of Potatoes for Melting
I have used both russet and Yukon gold potatoes and Yukon Gold definitely are my favorite for flavor and a creamy inside. Any waxed potato will work well. Yams and sweet potatoes also work well using this technique. Checkout this recipe for Melted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon for another variation on melted potatoes.Butter or Oil
Not surprising, the original Southern method of melting potatoes used quite a bit of butter, as much as a cup of butter for 2 pounds of potatoes. The potatoes are tossed in the butter and seasoning before roasting in a pan or searing on the stove top. Once both sides are browned, the chicken broth is poured on top and more butter is cut into chunks and added to the potatoes. This method is delicious and very indulgent, but all that butter isn't needed to get great melted potatoes.
Flipped potatoes before second roasting
I like to toss my potatoes in olive oil before roasting. When I add the chicken stock I may add a few dabs of butter, but it is not required to make the potatoes delicious. It is the technique of roasting and then braising that gives them their delicious texture and flavor. Added butter is a bonus and a personal decision depending on how tight your jeans are fitting.Quantities and Serving Sizes
To be clear, my husband and I could make a meal out of these potatoes and a simple salad. Once you start eating them it is hard to stop. Two pounds should be enough for four people, but I'm here to tell you that two people can devour 2 pounds in a sitting without a lot of work. So know your audience. Plan on 1/2 pound per person for reserved people with enormous willpower and one pound per person for the average glutton.Serving Melted Potatoes
Melted potatoes are so good you can serve them by themselves, maybe with a glass of chardonnay and no one would complain. They are also a great back drop for roasted chicken, steak, fish or short ribs. I cut my 60-Hour Sous Vide Short Ribs in slices and then laid them on top of the melted potatoes and oh my!
PrintMelted Potatoes
This easy technique for cooking potatoes yields crispy edged, thick slices of potatoes with creamy soft centers. It is all done in one pan with about 10 minutes of active time. There’s a good chance you may never make potatoes any other way again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 - 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: New American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
- 2 T olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 T fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, chopped
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 T butter, divided into 6 teaspoons (optional)
- 2 T chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Put an empty sheet pan in the oven and heat the oven to 450 F degrees for a convection oven and 475 F for a conventional oven. Peel the potatoes and slice them widthwise into 1″ thick slices. Put potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and herbs.
- Spread the potato slices out on a baking sheet, allowing about 1″ of space between each slice. The space allows the potatoes to caramelize. If they are overly crowded they will steam and not crisp. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip each potato round. Return to the oven and cook another 15 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with garlic slices and pour chicken or vegetable broth over the potatoes. Dab the butter over the potatoes if you are using butter. Return the potatoes to the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven, place on a serving platter and spoon any residual sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
This technique can also be used to make sweet potatoes or yams. Other types of potatoes can also be used, such as russet potatoes. Yukon gold are my favorite and result in the creamiest texture.
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