Whether you’re team mashed, smashed, roasted, or fried, there’s no denying the lovability of a potato. Everyone has their go-to method, but rooting for these widely known potato-cooking teams is like being part of the BTS army. Too often it feels like you have to choose between the big hits every time, whether that’s the creamy comfort of “Butter” (BTS's aptly named second English single) or the crunchy, fried precision of “My Universe” (a pop collab between the band and Coldplay). But the potato, like BTS, has some lesser-known hits that might not top the charts, but deserve a spot on your table nonetheless. So if you feel like adding to your potato playlist, let me put you on to Lyonnaise potatoes.
Lyonnaise potatoes, or pommes de terre sautées à la Lyonnaise in French, are a thing of beauty, featuring buttery Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds, crisped until golden brown, tossed with jammy caramelized onions, and showered in chopped parsley. The recipe is the ultimate marrying of onions and potatoes—a dish that is wildly savory, undeniably comforting, and virtually impossible to dislike.
So what makes a dish of potatoes and onions so much more than the sum of its parts? It all comes down to technique.
One crucial step is that the slices of potatoes aren’t just fried: They’re boiled, then fried. This two-step cooking process ensures the centers of the potatoes are as soft and creamy as possible to contrast their crisp, golden exterior. By boiling the sliced potatoes in heavily salted water with a splash of vinegar (a clever addition which not only adds flavor to the potatoes but also helps them retain their shape) before frying them, you give those slices a head start on cooking. While the potatoes are boiling, you’ll caramelize some onions on the stovetop until frizzled, golden brown, and sweet.
The second trick to making perfect Lyonnaise potatoes is frying the boiled potato slices in both butter and olive oil. The butter browns and becomes nutty, turning into a rich sauce that coats the potatoes in a glossy sheen while the oil helps prevent the butter from burning. (Oil has a higher smoke point than butter, adding a touch of protection to prevent overcooking.) The outside of the potato slices becomes crisp and golden while the butter transforms into a luxurious sauce.
My final tip for nailing this classic dish is to finish the whole thing off with a splash of white vinegar right before serving. The pop of tartness brightens the potatoes up, cuts through the richness of the fat, and rounds out the flavors of the spuds and onions. You might not be able to identify the source of acidity right away, but you’ll know that something special is going on. The flavor is balanced and moreish instead of heavy.
Top the potatoes with a generous showering of chopped parsley for even more freshness and you’re done; the dish is ready to accompany roasted chicken, cozy braises, or any celebratory holiday spread.
