Potato Fondant

As I've said before, I love potato. I've heard of potato fondant on tv and finally decided to make it. I served it with a filet mignon and lobster tail and made my kitchen feel like a high end steak house. 

Ingredients: 
3 large russet potatoes
2 tbsp avocado or canola oil
3 tbsp butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme 
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut off the ends of the russet potatoes, stand potatoes on end, and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 2 inches long. 

3. Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove the starch from outsides. Pat dry with paper towels. Do not do these steps too early before cooking for the potatoes will brown. 

4. Place a heavy oven-proof skillet (like a cast iron skillet) over high heat. Pour in oil. Heat until the oil is hot and slightly shimmers. 

5. Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil, lower heat to medium high and pan-fry potatoes until well browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

6. Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a paper towel held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the skillet. Add butter and thyme sprigs to the skillet. 

7. Pick up the thyme sprigs with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top potatoes. (you can use a spoon to baste the potatoes as well) Cook until butter foams and foam turns white to a pale tan color. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into skillet. 

8. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add 1/4 cup more stock and let cook 10 more minutes. 

9. Place potatoes on a serving platter and spoon butter remaining in skillet over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.