Fondant potatoes

Method
Prep:15min  ›  Cook:40min  ›  Ready in:55min 

1. Preheat oven to 220 C / Gas 7.
2. Slice off the two ends of the potatoes; stand them on one end and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 5cm long.
3. Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove starch from outsides; pat dry with kitchen roll.
4. Place a heavy oven-proof frying pan (such as a cast iron pan) over high heat. Pour in vegetable oil; heat oil until it shimmers slightly.
5. Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil; lower heat to medium-high and pan-fry potatoes until well-browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a piece of kitchen roll held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the pan. Add butter and thyme sprigs to pan.
7. Pick up a thyme sprig with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top of the potatoes. Cook until butter foams and foam turns from white to a pale tan colour. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into pan.
8. Transfer pan to preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add about 60ml more stock and let cook for an additional 10 minutes.
9. Place potatoes on a serving platter and spoon thyme-scented butter remaining in pan over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

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