Will takes on the classic Boulangère Potatoes and argues why it’s the best potato dish in the world. Forget the heavy cream of dauphinoise—these potatoes are light, crispy, and packed with flavour, thanks to layers of thinly sliced potatoes, onions, herbs, and rich stock. Perfect for any meal, this dish combines simplicity with elegance, making it a standout on any table.
Will breaks down step-by-step how to prepare this French favourite, highlighting key techniques for achieving the perfect balance of crispiness on top and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness inside. Whether you’re making it as a side dish or the star of your meal, boulangère potatoes will quickly become a go-to recipe in your kitchen.
VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
00:08 – Caramelising the onions
00:31 – Preparing the potatoes
01:11 – Layering the boulangère
07:14 – Making a cartouche
08:42 – Cooking the boulangère
11:47 – Finished boulangère
Ingredients:
Agria Potatoes
1 Block of butter
Brown Onions
Beef Stock
Oil
Recipe:
1. Caramelise the onions:
Add salt to sliced onions to help them break down and release moisture.
Cook gently over medium heat until they are deeply caramelized, about 30 to 40 minutes. Ensure there are no black bits to avoid bitterness.
2. Prepare the potatoes:
Use a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes. This helps achieve uniform slices, which is important for even cooking.
Do not wash the potatoes after slicing to preserve the starch, which will help the dish bind together.
3. Clarify the butter:
Melt butter in a microwave for about 20 seconds. It’s okay to leave the milk solids in the clarified butter as they will not burn at the temperature used for cooking.
4. Layer the dish:
In the base of an oven-safe pan, spread a layer of the caramelized onions.
Add a thin layer of sliced potatoes over the onions.
Drizzle some clarified butter and beef stock over the potato layer.
Season with salt and pepper.
Alternate the direction of the potato slices with each new layer to ensure an even arrangement.
Continue layering potatoes, clarified butter, and beef stock, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper as you go.
5. Finish with thyme:
After the last layer of potatoes, season again with salt and pepper, and sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the top.
6. Make a cartouche:
Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit the pan. Make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Place the cartouche on top of the layered potatoes to help with even cooking and caramelisation.
7. Bake:
Cover the dish with a heavy plate to weigh down the potatoes.
Bake in the oven at 120°C (250°F) for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
Halfway through the cooking time, flip the plate to ensure even pressure on the potatoes.
8. Increase the temperature:
After 45 minutes to 1 hour of cooking, remove the cartouche and plate.
Raise the oven temperature to 130°C (265°F) to allow the beef stock to reduce and the potatoes to caramelise on top. Bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and tender.
9. Glaze the top:
Before the final 5 minutes of cooking, brush the top of the potatoes with more clarified butter and a little beef stock to create a shiny glaze.
Add a final sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves for aroma.
10. Serve:
Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for a few minutes.
Serve with crispy edges and tender layers of potato, with the rich flavour of caramelised onions and thyme infused throughout.
23 Comments
…. I'm hungry…..❤
Looks tasty but i think my potatoes gratine tastes better. We will never know. But this looks good aswell
microwaved , clarified butter , da fuck is this muppet snorting
This is amateur , the fool is using a little electic hob and he talks about microwave ovens .
Does anyone know the quantities of the ingredients?
Waiter, why are there potato’s in my butter?!
Browned butter sounds better than clarified butter, richer taste
IMHO, the best potato dish in the world is Sarladaise.
I’m sure it’s good. Unfortunately this is the longest, most ridiculous potato recipe I’ve ever seen. Will never cook it at home
The only problem with all recipes, is that the quality of the result is dependent on the quality of stock. Unfortunately, most commercial stock is like cats pee.
If only most home ovens would go below 180 🙁
Looks amazing but if I was going to make it I’d have to add a thin layer of finely shredded cheese on top 😍
This dish would've tasted completely different if he hadn't transferred those 3 teaspoons of butter from the edge to the middle.
How do you call in English the kind of cooking pan you are using?
Yum!
all i need is a 30,000$ combi oven now.
If you ever wonder why restaurant food tastes so good, just look at the amount of butter used in this recipe
Best and unhealthy potato dish in the world (probably)
What is the besdt variety of potato for this dish? A waxy one like Ratte or Pink Fir Apple, or floury like King Edwards, Charlotte or Desiree?
Surely to recall the wonderful flavour of a Lanvcashire Hotpot ( Surely, one of the world's greatest dishes?), would not lamb stock be more delicate and suitable, especially with a bay leaf or two?
Melt the butter place in the freezer for a few minutes and the solids will drop to the bottom
Tre ore di cottura per una quantità spaventosa di burro condita con un po’ di patate. Mi é schizzato il colesterolo solo a vedere il filmato. no, grazie. tutto quel burro lo lascio ai francesi. Anche noi in Italia usiamo il burro, ma in dosi più contenute. Molto più contenute. Il colpo da maestro è stato aggiungere un pochino di burro alla fine, casomai il quintale messo prima non fosse sufficiente.
The real au gratin