Melting Potatoes

Potato lovers, meet your new favorite side dish! Melting potatoes offer the best of both possible worlds: They’re golden and caramelized on the outside, and silky smooth and tender on the inside. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more elegant and versatile dish for the holiday season. Plus, this recipe requires just 15 minutes of hands-on time!

Melting potatoes are made with thick slabs of Yukon gold potatoes that are tossed in melted butter and fresh oregano and roasted until browned and crisp. What differentiates them from other potato recipes, however, is that they are then drizzled with a flavorful combination of chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic, and returned to the oven to braise. That last quarter of an hour transforms the potatoes from crisp and fluffy to luscious and creamy. (The heavenly herb and garlic aroma that fills your house while they cook is worth trying the recipe for alone.) These next-level spuds are just the thing to serve with Christmas roasts or ham recipes.

What kind of potatoes are best for melting potatoes?

Choose non-starchy, waxy types of potatoes like Yukon gold or new potatoes. They maintain their firm texture when cooked, yielding creamy, tender interiors. Starchy russet potatoes are better for mashed or baked dishes due to their fluffier consistency.

What is the difference between fondant potatoes and melting potatoes?

A traditional French recipe, fondant potatoes are first browned in butter on the stove before being transferred to the oven to finish cooking in broth. Melting potatoes are a simplified version of fondant potatoes. Their beauty lies in the fact that all the browning and braising occurs in one pan in the oven!