In the French countryside, dishes were created that are proof that simplicity has its charm. Boulangère potatoes, or baked potatoes, are just such a dish. All you need is plain potatoes, a little onion, stock, butter and you’ve won.
The French have a gift for transforming you too into something that tastes like it was made by a chef. And this is exactly the case for Pommes Boulangère, or baked potatoes. At first glance, a simple dish of potatoes, onions and broth, but when prepared honestly, it creates a dish that smells of onions, herbs and butter, with a golden crust on top and a soft, creamy texture inside.
Check out the Fallow Chefs video for the perfect potato dish recipe on YouTube:
The origin of the recipe dates back to the 18th century. In French villages at that time, people did not have their own ovens at home, so after mass they took their bowls of potatoes to the baker to be baked in after bread. Hence the name Boulangère – “bakery”. It was a simple but perfectly balanced dish, and its very simplicity became the key to its charm.
Recept na brambory Boulangère
Raw materials:
- 1 kg of potatoes (preferably type A or B)
- 2 large onions
- 400 ml stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 50 g of butter
- a sprig of thyme or rosemary
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Procedure:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, ideally of the same thickness so that they cook evenly. Cut the onion into thin half rings and briefly fry in a pan in butter until translucent.
Alternate layers of potato and onion slices in a greased baking dish, lightly salt and pepper each layer and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Finally, pour the broth over everything so that it is just below the level of the potatoes. Drizzle the surface with the remaining butter.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 1 hour until the potatoes are soft and golden. In the last few minutes, you can increase the temperature to create a crispy crust.
When the dish comes out of the oven, the smell of butter and onions fills the entire kitchen. Boulangère potatoes are traditionally served as a side dish to roast meat or chicken, but they can also stand alone, for example with a fresh salad and a glass of white wine.
This humble country specialty shows that even a few simple ingredients can conjure up a dish with soul, which is precisely why it has become a treasure of French cuisine.
