Fondant Potatoes, Squared

Potatoes with a crisp, seasoned exterior baked and simmered in a sauce of broth, butter, and fresh herbs.

Traditionally round, I squared my potatoes which created more surface areas to brown.
And I just like the "techy" look of it.

The lemon zest complements the chili and thyme.

"Fondant" simply means to cook in a sauce. Fondant potatoes are popular in Europe, but not so much here in the States. Not sure why. Traditionally, they are round or barrel shaped and cooked with some chicken stock and some thyme sprigs, as in the photo below. They were good but I felt they were missing something.

By squaring the potato, I created more surface areas to brown. I ramped up the sprigs of thyme, used beef stock instead of chicken, added a sprinkle of chili powder, smoked paprika and, at the end, added two zests of lemon to the hot "fondant" for just a hint of flavor. As the Brits would say, "Scrummy!" This was a meal in itself. But paired with steak or lamb, they would be both delicious. And they make such a great presentation.

You could also use some fresh rosemary and a clove or two of smashed garlic (if using fresh garlic, omit the garlic powder below). Potatoes take a lot of seasoning and are quite forgiving that way.

This is more of a procedure than a recipe. You will need a heavy pan, such as a cast-iron skillet. Use Russet potatoes.

• 2 Russet potatoes, uniform in shape,
• Dry Seasonings: Kosher salt, pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika
• Fresh thyme--at least one dozen sprigs plus more for brushing
• 2 fresh lemon peels
• Peanut oil or any oil that stands up to high heat
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• Beef stock/broth

Heat oven to 375 F. degrees.

Cut off ends of potato and discard. Cut each potato into an oblong. Cut each potato in half for a total of four squares. Soak potatoes in a bowl of cold water to get rid of any excess starch or run under cold water.

Cubes are about two inches long but not quite as thick.
It will depend on your potatoes. 

On a plate, mix your dry spices except for chili powder and smoked paprika. How much?  Use this as a guide. If you have one teaspoon salt, use half as much pepper, seasoned salt and onion powder. Than half as much of that for the garlic powder--so you have a ratio of 1 to 1/2 to 1/4.  Go easy on the garlic powder. You may skip the garlic powder and add a garlic clove to to fondant before baking. I prefer the garlic powder.

Dry potatoes well. Roll in seasoned mixture.

Heat a heavy pan over medium heat. When hot, add peanut oil, about a good 1/4 inch. When it shimmers, carefully (there will be splattering) add the potatoes and begin to brown on all sides, adjusting heat as necessary.

Remove oil. Sprinkle with chili powder and just a hint of the smoked paprika. Add a good 2-3 tablespoons fresh butter. When foaming stops, add fresh thyme sprigs. They will sizzle. (During baking, the leaves will fall away from the stems.) Add beef broth to about 1/3 the height of the potatoes, not more than that.

Place in hot oven and bake 20-30 minutes, without turning, until a sharp knife inserted in center goes in easily. During baking, add more butter/broth if necessary. You don't want it to dry out and you want to be sure to have a lovely "fondant" or seasoned sauce for serving. As the potatoes bake, the lower portion will absorb the sauce while the top and sides will crisp.

When done, remove from oven. Remove the bare stems from the thyme. Using several fresh thyme sprigs as a "brush," baste the potatoes with the sauce in the pan. 

Add the two strips of lemon zest. Allow these to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired, and ample drizzles from the sauce.

Oh, yea!

Notes: I baked mine in my Breville countertop convection oven at 375 F. degrees. They were done in about 20 minutes. 


If you want round potatoes, cut off ends and peel the potato until a neat cylinder shape is achieved. Cut each cylinder in half. Traditionally, the edge of the top is removed to prevent burning. When browning, you only sear the top and the bottom, not the sides.

Thanks to "Steve's Cooking" over at YouTube for posting a great video about these potatoes.

Breaded, Baked Pork Chops

Moist, flavorful and no frying needed.

Oh, humble pork chop, how many ways do we love you? Braised. Seared. Fried. Barbecued. Stuffed. Sauerkraut. Apples. Onion.

Who doesn't savor a pork chop cooked/baked to perfection? Oh, my grandfather just loved them. I wish he were alive today so I could serve him some of my favorite ways to prepare them which he never realized.

This recipe is a delight. It's inspiration was a You Tube video of chef who smeared a pork chop with mayonnaise and then breaded it. GENIUS! Why didn't I think of that? The mayo held the breading with confidence.

Mayo is nothing more than oil whipped into egg ... Much, much lighter than, say, dunking a chop into a gooey, gloppy, raw egg mixture ...

But ....

Why stop there?

Hello .... bottled, salad dressings .... which are basically the same concept as any mayonnaise: oil and egg, with the addition of flavorings. Correct?

I just happened to have a jar of Marie's-brand Parmesan/Ranch dressing in my fridge given to me as a sample by reps of that company for the produce department in which I work. I settled on that for my experiment.

I've made this several times now. And, honestly, I really, and truly, love these pork chops. They are moist because of the "dressing" but not soggy because of the Panko bread crumbs. They are not fried. Instead the bake on a rack in a shallow pan so heat is evenly distributed for perfect roasting.

I baked these in my Breville-brand convection oven on a "roast" cycle. Even so, the last few minutes or so, I turn it up to "broil" just give a bit of crispier top....

(((( As an aside: my fav. kind of pork chop is always and has always been a rib chop. They are non-existant where I live in the South. Instead, I used two "thick-cut" loin chops .... at least one-inch thick .... for a total weight of about 1.4 pounds. Unfortunately .. most of the fat had been "trimmed" away .... for 'our' safety .... LOL .... ))))

• 2, thick-cut, bone-in pork chops
• Parmesan/Ranch Dressing (or something similar) or just mayonnaise
• 6 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
• 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan/Romano cheese (from a can is just fine!)
• 3 tablespoons plain, dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon whole, rubbed sage
• 1/2 to one-teaspoon dried, whole thyme
• Seasoned salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Using a damp cloth or squeezed-out wad of paper towel ... wipe the pork chops ... Usually, they contain bits of bone, etc.

Mix all dried ingredients on a sheet of wax paper.

Coat/brush chops with dressing ....

Now roll them and pat them in dried ingredients.... Use dried herbs ... to your preference.

Lightly spritz the chops with a spray of PAM. Place breaded chops on a wire rack inside a shallow pan. This rack is important, so don't omit.

Bake/roast chops for about 40 minutes without turning. Ideally, you want an internal temperature of 160-170 F degrees. If you want the top a bit crunchier, place under broiler for just a minute or two never taking your eyes off the chops since they can easily burn.

Allow chops to rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

.... The star of the show ....

Food ... Life ... Music

I love when I discover new music--or it discovers me.  I heard Movement 10 of this composition today on NPR while driving to work. I had to pull over to the side of the road because I was so moved and excited! Amazing, I never heard this score until now.

This is a great conductor. So young and so exuberant ... but, more importantly, his emotions are safely shared and expected with his orchestra.

I love this whole piece ... but, if you want to be blown away and don't have time or the patience .... fast forward to 27:17. Turn up the sound. Twist in the ear plugs, dear Pilgrims. And you will understand why Maude from the movie classic "Harold and Maude" said, "Music is the dance of the Universe."

I think of my father when I hear Movement 10. I think of the eulogy I will one day have to deliver when he is gone. I think of him now suddenly alone and I am sad I am not closer. And I think of the music I will choose to celebrate his life. Perhaps it is this.

As I get older, I get more jaded. Few things keep me grounded. But the purity of music is one. Nature is another ... and, then, of course, the simplicity of good food ... and great wine. What do all three have in common? Well, it might be better to explain what they don't have in common: violence, anger and hatred, division, hunger.

Dear Pilgrims, we must continually strive to center our vision on that which is not just  good ... but GREAT! That, which is filled with hope. That, which is filled with the unadulterated promise of a Future for Us and our Planet.

Movement 10 ... reminds promises me great potential and unselfishness as a species on an incredible, productive Planet.

Cornbread: The South vs. The North

Tall. Light and Airy. What's Not to Like about Corn Bread?

Nothing sparks controversy here in the South as cornbread. Authentic cornbread, Southern style, uses little, if any flour, no sugar, and white corn, not yellow. It is just the opposite of Yankee cornbread which here is considered more of a sweet cake.

Southern cornbread is also always baked in a hot, cast-iron skillet that has been well-larded with bacon grease. When baked, it is flipped out of the pan to reveal the crunchy exterior which contrasts to the warm, moist interior. It is always cut into wedges or "pones" and never baked in a square pan or cut into rectangular shapes.

Less dense than a Northern-style cornbread, the loose crumb lovingly sops up melted butter, honey or maple syrup. And, of course, pot-liquor from greens, such as collards. Cold cornbread is often dunked into buttermilk.

As with most arguments, I tried to reach a happy medium with this recipe. I used "polenta" for the cornmeal base to achieve a more authentic texture and taste. I used less flour and only a few tablespoons of sugar. While I am not adverse the joys of bacon, I left out the bacon grease because I wanted this plain with honey and jams.

The verdict? Man, this was some good cornbread! This was all about the corn. While baking, the smell permeated my apartment. The outside was crunchy and the interior was wonderfully moist with specks of yellow from the corn. I loved the loose crumb and the pronounced corn taste. It really wasn't sweet, but it didn't need to be.

I put this under the broiler for just a minute or two after baking to give a crisp crust.

My black cast iron skillet is too large for this recipe, so I used a 9-inch, enamel-lined cast iron skillet greased with peanut oil. It worked well, but I should have allowed it to cool a bit more before flipping it from the pan since the middle didn't loosen. But I will never ever bake cornbread in a square baking pan again. I can see how the addition of bacon grease would pair well with corn taste.

Bit of a crack after I flipped it out of the pan .... But
note the crispy exterior.

• 1 1/4 cups coarsely-ground corn or "polenta" (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons oil or bacon grease for the pan.

Place the oil/bacon grease in a nine-inch iron skillet and place in 375 F. degree oven while pre-heating so it is hot when you are ready to add the batter. Ideally, you are supposed to hear a bit of a sizzle as you add the batter. 

Meanwhile .... 

In a medium bowl, mix the milled corn, flour, salt and sugar. Set aside.

Add the egg to the buttermilk and whisk. Add the baking soda and melted butter. Stir. (Do not add the baking soda to the dry ingredients.)

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just to incorporate. Allow to sit for a few minutes so the corn has time to absorb some of the liquid.

Using a hot pad, carefully remove pan from oven ... it will be HOT. Pour in batter and smooth the top.

Return to oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool ten minutes before flipping out of the pan. If you are nervous about this part, first cut out a slice and then carefully use a small spatula to loosen the bread from the pan. (Most people do use bacon fat and I have watched in awe as the baker removes the pan from the oven and confidently and simply flips the whole corn bread out onto a board!) 

Serve with fresh butter, honey, jam or maple syrup.