Try this Melting Potatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 500 degrees F.
- Place melted butter in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in herbs, if using, salt, and pepper. Add potato slices and mix to evenly coat them. Spread potato slices and all of the good stuff at the bottom of the bowl in a 9×13 metal (a glass baking dish shouldn’t be used at this high of a temperature) baking pan.
- Roast potatoes for 15 minutes. Use a thin spatula to loosen potatoes and turn them over. Roast for a second 15 minutes, then carefully pour stock or broth into pan and add the garlic cloves. Roast for 15 minutes more, until potatoes are fully tender.
- Remove from oven. Transfer to a serving platter along with any remaining liquid in pan and serve warm to very lucky people.
Standard roasted potatoes rely on dry heat to build a crisp exterior while the interior steams into fluffy starch. Melting potatoes abandon that dry-heat paradigm entirely by introducing broth midway through the high-heat roast, transforming exterior starches through braising rather than frying. Yukon Gold potatoes work best here because their medium-starch composition holds structural integrity under prolonged thermal stress without dissolving entirely into mush.
Thermal conductivity dictates pan selection at the required 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Metal baking pans conduct heat aggressively to sear the bottom surfaces on contact, whereas glass baking dishes retain heat poorly and risk shattering under thermal shock at this temperature extreme. Achieving the signature texture requires precise moisture management during the final third of cooking. Pouring one cup of stock into the hot pan creates an immediate reduction environment. As the liquid simmers away during the final 15 minutes, remaining fats and starches emulsify into a rich glaze that coats each slice. Swapping chicken stock for vegetable broth alters the final viscosity slightly due to differing gelatin content, requiring careful monitoring during the last minutes in the oven.
