Sauteed potatoes are the ultimate comforting side dish! Fluffy cubed potatoes with a crispy exterior cooked in duck fat are real morsels of savory goodness.
Add to that the sweetness of shallots, the flavors of parsley and garlic, and you understand why sauteed potatoes are so popular in France.
Converting potato haters
I know it might sound crazy to some, but honestly, I’m not so keen on potatoes. I don’t understand the enthusiasm around potatoes. Sure, you can make plenty of different stuff from them, but they taste bland to me. I absolutely love mash (because of all the milk, butter and nutmeg) and I’m always happy to eat crispy rösti for breakfast if there are eggs involved. I also really love gnocchi. But other than that, I swear I could live without potatoes.
I’m probably rejecting potatoes because I grew up eating them way too often, since my dad is from northern France. The worst of all was when he was serving us boring old boiled potatoes, or potatoes that had just been thrown in the oven (with no seasoning or fat, mind you). Just pure unadulterated potatoes, yuck!
However, sometimes, maybe twice a year, I do get a craving for potatoes, and when I do, these fluffy sauteed potatoes with their golden brown crust are the best! They hit all the savory spots!
Duck fat
Duck and goose fats have been part of the French South-Western diet for centuries. It was used instead of butter or oil (and is still being used) to cook food. Absolutely everything was cooked in duck fat, and it sometimes made up for the lack of meat in certain dishes. Duck fat feels very decadent, but it actually is a healthier option compared to other animal fats, like butter, if used in moderation.
Duck fat is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are the good fats that can lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as long as the duck fat is not overheated. Deep-frying to make the most amazing fries ever, for example, would require you to increase the heat and thus would destroy the benefits of the good fats. However, have you really lived if you haven’t tried fries cooked in duck fat?
WHO has shown that the inhabitants of the Southwest, who consume a larger amount of food cooked in duck or goose fat, have one of the lowest rates of coronary heart disease-related deaths in the country and have a better life expectancy!
No parboiling required
For the life of me, I can’t parboil potatoes! I always end up cooking them for too long, even when I’m right by the stove. I’m terrible at judging when to take them out of the boiling water; you want them softened but not throughout. It depends on their sizes, on their types, on the heat; there are too many variables! My parboiled potatoes always turn up mushy.
I feel much more in control when sauteeing potatoes that haven’t been parboiled first. Sure, they take longer to cook, but you have fewer dishes! You win some, you lose some.
Waxy potatoes
Only waxy potatoes should be used for this recipe. They have a lower starch content, which helps them keep their shapes even after being tossed around in the pan. Their firm flesh is a must. If you’re in the US, look for red potatoes such as the Red Bliss potato. If you’re in the UK, look for a bag of Charlotte, Nicola, Marfona or Aran Pilot potatoes. If you’re in Australia, look for Nicola or Kipfler potatoes.
It’s also important not to stir the cubed potatoes that often while they cook. Once every 10 min is more than enough. You want to give the sauteed potatoes a chance to brown and crisp up, especially at the end.
Sauteed potatoes
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Sauteeing
- Cuisine: French
Description
Fluffy sauteed potatoes with a crispy exterior cooked in duck fat are real morsels of savory goodness. Add to that the sweetness of shallots, the flavors of parsley and garlic and you’ll understand why this side dish is so popular in France!
Ingredients
- 1 kg waxy potatoes (35 oz, or about 2 lb)
- 4 tbsp duck or goose fat, levelled (or use vegetable oil)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 shallots
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- half a bunch of parsley, leaves only
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and wash them under running water. Dice the potatoes into 1,5cm (½ in) cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl. Cover with cold water and place the bowl in the fridge while you get on with the rest. Soaking helps to remove excess starch and to get crispy potatoes that will not stick together.
- Cook the shallots & garlic. Peel the garlic cloves, mince and set aside. Peel the shallots and finely dice them. Place a large heavy-based non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp of the fat. When melted and hot, add the diced shallots and cook for 7 min, stirring often. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for 2 min. Season, stir, and remove from the heat. Using a wooden spatula or spoon, transfer the shallots and garlic to a small plate and set aside.
- Cook the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake well. Lay the potatoes on paper towels and cover them with more paper towels to dry them off completely (or use a dishtowel). Place the pan over medium heat and add the rest of the fat. When melted and hot, add the potatoes. Mix with a wooden spoon until the potatoes are well coated with fat. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook the potatoes for 45 min, uncovering and stirring the potatoes well every 10 min before covering again.
- Finish up. In the meantime, finely chop the parsley leaves and set aside. After 45 min have passed, uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 15 min more or until the water has completely evaporated and the cubed potatoes are golden brown. Add the shallots, garlic and parsley at the end of the cooking time. Stir until well combined and warmed through, then serve straight away!
Notes
Any leftover sauteed potatoes will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently in a non-stick pan over medium heat or in the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 669
- Fat: 26.1g
Do you need ideas for another side dish? Here are some of my favorite recipes:
Pissed off
“This recipe is completely broken. Sautéing means quick cooking over high heat. Covering 1.5cm raw potato cubes with a lid for 45 minutes on medium heat does not sauté them—it creates a steam trap that completely boils and disintegrates the potatoes into a greasy mush before you ever uncover the pan. The structural integrity of the starch is totally destroyed by the time you increase the heat. I had to rescue my batch in the air fryer. If you want crispy sautéed potatoes, look for a recipe that involves parboiling first, not 45 minutes of stovetop steaming.”
Amélie
First of all, I’m very sorry this happened to you!
I was wondering what kind of potatoes you used. I wrote in the post that waxy potatoes are best, but I made a mistake and wrote all-purpose potatoes in the ingredients list. So, I’ll edit that.
I also wrote in the post that it is best to stir them every 10 min, but in the recipe card I wrote “stirring often”. “Stirring often” can be subject to interpretation. I’ll also add “every 10 min” to the recipe card to make sure future readers stir as often as necessary.
As a raw potato cube cannot break down in the 10 min it takes before ever uncovering the pan to stir for the first time (even a floury potato), I was wondering how long you cooked them before stirring them for the first time. If it was more than 10 min, that’s on me. I can’t expect people to read and remember the whole post, and I should have written it in the recipe card too.
Thank you for the comment. Without it, I wouldn’t have noticed I wrote the wrong type of potatoes in the recipe card and didn’t include as many details in the card as in the post for the stirring instructions.
I’m also wondering about the size of your pan. It might have been too crowded for enough potato cubes to come into contact with the hot surface and crisp up.