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.
463 K 3.9/5 (180 reviews)
45 min.
Easy
1 kg
7 IngredientsLast modified on: September 16th 2015
4 cups + 3 tablespoons 
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 4 cups + 3 tablespoons 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: Baked potoatoes with herb butter or cream , Ramekins of duchess potatoes, Grandma's salad, Cervelas salad, Seafood sauerkraut, ... See them all 83
Oil
Like these other recipes: Melting Epoisses on toast , Eggplant Polpette, Pears and caramelised walnut samosas , Larded pork tenderloin, Home-made potato crisps , ... See them all 93
Bayleaf
Like these other recipes: Two-stage beef chuck , Spicy seafood plancha, Pâté de campagne, Red rice pannequets, Duo of slow-cooked pork, ... See them all 65
Other recipes you may also like
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille.January 27th 2017763 K 313.7 40 min.
Salmon and spinach quiche
This quiche recipe uses a traditional filling mixture, but adds slices of smoked salmon and blanched spinach.April 17th 2022414 K 14 1 hour 15 min.
Quail egg canapés
This starter is a small canapé consiting of a toasted and buttered bread slice covered with a slice of smoked ham topped with a fried quail egg.February 21th 2011336 K5 55 min.
Potimarron (chestnut pumpkin) "au gratin"
We could almost say a "Parmentier" of potimarron: a layer of left over cooked chicken, covered with potimarron purée and cheese, put to brown in the oven.February 21th 2011268 K 24 1 hour 35 min.
Blanquette of veal
Blanquette is a classic dish of French family cooking, but can also be found in bistros. Veal is cooked slowly, and the sauce is thickened with a mixture of egg yolks and cream. I have set out a rather special way of making it.February 5th 2015423 K4.4 2 hours 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
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.