Pan-fried potatoes


Pan-fried potatoes
What could be simpler than fried potatoes? No need of a recipe for that! Quite right, but it's also very easy to end up making fried mash instead. Here are the main pitfalls to avoid.
296 K 4.2/5 (57 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: February 3rd 2011
For 4 people, you will need:

Change to the quantities for:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Cooking: 55 min.
All in all: 1 hour 40 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 20 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
Peel and wash 1 kg potatoes.

Cut into medium sized pieces if you have big potatoes, the ideal size is about that of your thumb.

If you cut potatoes, wash again. This is very important because cutting potatoes releases starch, and that starch will make them stick when cooking.

After washing, dry in a cloth. This is another important point, because wet potatoes can make the hot oil spit dangerously.

Stage 2 - 2 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
Pour 3 tablespoons oil into a non-stick pan on medium heat, and add potatoes. Stir well to coat each potato with oil.

Stage 3 - 40 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
Turn down heat, cover, do not salt and do not touch for at least 40 minutes.

You must resist all temptation to salt because it makes them stick, and to stir them because it is useless and eventually produces famous fried mash.

Stage 4 - 5 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
After this time, uncover, salt, and...

Stage 5 - 15 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
... stir gently so that fried sides of potatoes are on top.

Leave to cook a further 15 minutes, still covered.

Stage 6 - 15 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
Repeat this until potatoes are fried as you like them.

Stage 7
Pan-fried potatoes
Be careful because once fried, potatoes can't be kept waiting, covered or not they will go soft.

You should serve them without delay.
Remarks
Brief summary of the method: wash and dry potatoes, coat with a little oil, cook slowly without salt and without stirring for 40 minutes, only then should you salt and stir to cook on all sides.

You will get excellent results with rattes (small firm waxy potatoes), they are already just the right size.

My uncle Pierre, a great chef, when he was chef of his own restaurant, used this dish to test new young cooks.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: My uncle Pierre Barbary, the best self-taught chef I have ever known!.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe20 RDI=8 %190 RDI=20 %50 RDI=7 %1,260 RDI=60 %5,250 RDI: 60 %
Per 100 g1 RDI=1 %20 RDI=2 %4 RDI=1 %120 RDI=6 %500 RDI: 6 %
Per person5 RDI=2 %50 RDI=4 %10 RDI=2 %310 RDI=20 %1,310 RDI: 20 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
How much will it cost?
  • For 4 people : 1.10 €
  • Per person : 0.30 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Cassoulet
Cassoulet
Cassoulet is typical, even emblematic, of southern French cuisine. It is a "slow food" casserole in which meat and vegetables, particualrly dried beans, are cooked together for a long time. Here is a simplified version of this famous dish.
September 17th 2021209 K4.1 16 hours 9 min.
Brioche dough
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site.
September 16th 2020521 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
Sweetcrust pastry is one of the basic pastry of French patisserie, used in many tart and cakes recipes, but it can also be rolled out and cut into biscuits, delicious with tea or coffee. This recipe is given for those who have a mixer (Kenwood, KitchenAid or other), but it can also be done with your...
July 1st 2019479 K 24.4 35 min.
Blackcurrant liqueur
Blackcurrant liqueur
The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like...
August 3rd 2013848 K 44.7 55 min.
Traditional nutty choc-chip cookies
Traditional nutty choc-chip cookies
A traditional American recipe for homely biscuits, which can be made in different flavours or with additions (seeds, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc.).
January 5th 2020373 K4 1 hour 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-01-26)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this recipe (as 5 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page