How to cook potato grenaille
The French call very small potatoes "grenaille". This is a typical way of cooking them: the tiny potatoes are pan-fried in their skins and make an excellent accompanient for meat.
Grenaille can be made with any kind of potato; it is a question of size, rather than variety, though I think that firm-textured potatoes, such as rattes or charlottes, work best. I am using rattes in the photos.
The cooking is a combined method: boiling first, then frying. This is quicker than using a single method.
Grenaille can be made with any kind of potato; it is a question of size, rather than variety, though I think that firm-textured potatoes, such as rattes or charlottes, work best. I am using rattes in the photos.
The cooking is a combined method: boiling first, then frying. This is quicker than using a single method.
489 K 3.9/5 (180 reviews)
45 min.
Easy
2.90 €
1 kg
7 IngredientsLast modified on: September 16th 2015
1 kg 
4 tablespoons 
2 
2 sprigs 
2 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 15 min.
Cooking: 35 min.
All in all: 45 min.
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 - ⌛ 5 min.
Prepare the grenaille
Thoroughly wash 1 kg potatoes of very small size in lukewarm water.Stage 2 - ⌛ 5 min.
Drain and transfer them to a large saucepan.
Use this opportunity to check each potato, trimming off any eyes and bad bits, and discard any black, green or damaged potatoes.
Use this opportunity to check each potato, trimming off any eyes and bad bits, and discard any black, green or damaged potatoes.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 10 min.
First-stage cooking: boiling
Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to the boil.Boil until the potatoes are just barely cooked.
Stage 4
Drain the potatoes.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 2 min.
Second-stage cooking: frying
Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat and add 4 tablespoons oil, 2 bayleaves, 2 sprigs thyme and 2 cloves garlic.Stage 6 - ⌛ 1 min.
When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and stir well to coat them with oil.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 20 min.
Leave the grenaille to fry, stirring from time to time...
Stage 8
...until nicely browned.
Salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper.
Stage 9
This is goes very well with grilled meat, for example.
Remarks
You can also try frying in clarified butter instead of oil.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=8 % | 200 RDI=20 % | 60 RDI=9 % | 1,420 RDI=70 % | 5,930 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 130 RDI=7 % | 550 RDI: 7 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 kg : 2.90 €
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)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Endives "bonne femme", Home-made potato crisps , Winegrowers' sausage casserole, Ardennes Salad, Vegetable pie, ... See them all 90
Oil
Like these other recipes: Two-stage beef chuck , Melting Epoisses on toast , Sardine and potato gratin, Gratin of leeks with Morbier cheese, Creamy "terre et mer" pots, ... See them all 104
Bayleaf
Like these other recipes: Sausage and lentils "en cocotte", Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), Two-stage beef chuck , Red mixed pickle, Smoked tomato toast, ... See them all 67
Thyme
Like these other recipes: Smoked tomato toast, "Au vert" beef, Hasselback or "Swedish-style" potatoes, Pâté de campagne, Courgettes (zuchinis) , ... See them all 70
Other recipes you may also like
Sorrel soup
Smooth with a slight sharpness, this soup has a very particular taste. May 8th 2011417 K3.8 1 hour 4 min.
Vol-au-vent cases
Vol-au-vents, whether large or bite-sized, need a special pastry case that is hollow to take the filling. Here is how to prepare these delicate cases using puff pastry. October 16th 2013345 K4.1 45 min.
Spinach on toast with bechamel
A slice of buttered toast, layers of spinach and sliced hard-boiled egg, topped with bechamel sauce and grated cheese, then browned in the oven. February 11th 201580 K4.3 35 min.
Mushroom Pancakes au Gratin
This recipe uses pan-fried mushrooms and shallots in cream as the filling for Breton "galettes": traditional buckwheat pancakes. The stuffed pancakes are then baked gratin-style with cheese and cream. May 10th 2023163 K4.6 55 min.
Gingerbread
Maybe this recipe will bring back memories. February 21th 2011301 K4.2 1 hour 4 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-03-15)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 3 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.
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.