These potatoes boulangère are a wonderful lightened up potato dish. You can serve these potatoes for dinner as a side for roasts, steaks and chops, and poultry, or as a side dish for a celebratory brunch.
With Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduation celebrations coming up, save this recipe and add these potatoes to your menu.
These potatoes are similar to scalloped, gratin, or Lyonnaise potatoes, except that they are cooked in broth rather than heavy cream or butter, for a much lighter dish. They are somewhat similar (including the title) to patatas panaderas, a Spanish potato and onion dish cooked in white wine (and one of my most popular recipes).
The name Pommes Boulangère actually can be translated to "Potatoes from the Baker." Evidently, in smaller French villages, most families did not have ovens, so, on Sundays they would take their prepared pot of potatoes to the baker to cook in his oven while the families were at church. Later, they would pick them up on their way home.
Ingredients in These Potatoes:
Diced Pancetta: This ingredient is optional but it adds so much flavor. You will only need about four ounces. You can also substitute bacon.
Olive Oil: For cooking the pancetta and onions.
Herbs: Thyme and bay leaf. You can use either fresh or dried thyme.
Onions: You will cook them for about 15 minutes to lightly brown and sweeten them.
Spices: Salt and pepper.
Chicken Broth: For cooking the potatoes. You can also use vegetable stock or broth.
Potatoes: I used Yukon Gold potatoes. They hold together during the cooking process and their skin is so thin that it's not necessary to peel them.
To Make These Potatoes Boulangère:
First, heat the olive oil in a four or five quart Dutch oven (about a nine inch diameter on the bottom) and then cook the pancetta until it's just beginning to brown. Then, add the onions and herbs, and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring regulary, until they reduce and begin to turn brown. In the meantime, slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick half moons.
After that, bring the broth to a boil in a separate pan and set it aside.
Next, stir in the potatoes and stir briefly. Then, stir in the broth, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Cover the dish and bake the potatoes for 15 minutes.
Finally, remove the pot cover, and continue baking for another 25 minutes. At this point, the potatoes should be tender, lightly browned, and ready to serve.
Equipment You May Need:
Dutch Oven: A four or five quart Dutch oven works for this dish. I used the Emile Henry Flame. It's a clay pot that you can actually use on the stove top and in the oven. I first bought this for baking bread and have since used it for all kinds of stews, rice, and braises.
A cast iron or stainless steel pot will also work.
Mandoline Slicer: I used mine for evenly slicing the onions, and especially the potatoes. An advantage to using a v-slicer is that you can do it super quickly and at the last minute so that you don't have to worry about the potatoes turning brown.
Tips:
For crispier potatoes on top, after removing the lid, loosen some of the potatoes on top so that the edges can crisp up a bit if you like.
This dish is best the day that it's made, but leftovers are very nice too. If you have leftovers, you can either reheat them in the microwave or in your oven or toaster oven.
Welcome to Brunch Week!
This week eight of my food blog friends and I will be sharing recipes that are perfect for sharing at Brunch. Thank you for Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure for putting together this event!
More Brunch Recipes:
- Kings Hawaiian Pineapple Cheesecake Danishes from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Sun Dried Tomato Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
- Chicken Paprikash from Art of Natural Living
- Maple Bacon Monkey Bread from Blogghetti
- Caprese Asparagus from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pesto Chicken Salad Cups from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Classic Chicken Salad (redo) from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
- Potatoes Boulangère from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Potatoes Boulangère
These potatoes boulangère are a wonderful lightened up potato dish. You can serve these potatoes for dinner as a side for roasts, steaks and chops, and poultry, or as a side dish for a celebratory brunch.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 3 small onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook it until it begins to crisp, about four minutes.
- Add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onions begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring the broth to a boil in a separate small saucepan.
- Add the potatoes to the pot and cook, stirring a bit, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pan and gently press down on the potatoes to even out the top. Continue baking for about 25 more minutes, until the potatoes are totally tender and beginning to brown.
- Remove the bay leaf (if you can find it) and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
238Fat (grams)
10 gSat. Fat (grams)
3 gCarbs (grams)
31 gFiber (grams)
4 gNet carbs
27 gSugar (grams)
3 gProtein (grams)
7 gCholesterol (grams)
12 mgRecipe adapted from Fine Cooking, 2004
