French boulangère potatoes, an ideal recipe worth serving during any occasion, with any vegetables or any kind of meat. Try a typical French recipe today with us at Hana’s Recipes and enrich your common everyday diet!
Something more about French boulangère potatoes
The history of French boulangère potatoes is interconnected with culinary traditions of France. This is particularly a subject of rural regions where simple dishes were often discovered out of necessity, using fresh local ingredients. The term “boulangère” in French refers to a baker’s wife, suggesting a connection between this dish and daily activities involving baking and cooking in French households, traditionally performed by women.
While the exact origin of boulangère potatoes is not well-known, there are theories believing that such a dish could have firstly been baked in the countryside of France, exactly as stated above. It is also claimed that boulangère potatoes may have primarily been enjoyed among farmers who needed a rich meal full of different nutrients after a whole day of harvesting, for instance.
Famous boulangère potatoes typically involve thinly sliced potatoes, onions, garlic and sometimes herbs like thyme or rosemary. The ingredients are all baked together in a larger bowl with broth or stock. Potatoes are being layered with onions and herbs, then moistened with the broth and after baked until they get nicely tender and golden.
Today, boulangère potatoes remain a beloved classic in French cuisine that is enjoyed both at homes as well as in restaurants. They are often served together with roasted or grilled meat to achieve a comforting main dish at the end. Not to mention how popular French boulangère potatoes have become over time and despite their high demand in France, the meal has spread to other countries as well.
Ingredients for French boulangère potatoes
- 2 kg of potatoes (approx. 14 medium-sized),
- 4 pieces of bacon / 300 g of rolled salami, stewed or smoked ham,
- 5 pieces of eggs,
- 1 piece of onion,
- 4 tablespoons of butter,
- 200 g of Edam cheese / mozzarella,
Dressing:
- 250 ml of whipping cream,
- 2 eggs,
- 1 tablespoon of mustard / vegetables without salt,
Spices:
- Salt,
- Ground black pepper
Preparation
1
Start by boiling the potatoes in their skins. They will need about 20 minutes. At the same time, hard boil the eggs. Peel the sausages and cut them into small cubes. After cooking, drain the potatoes and let them cool. Grease a larger baking pan (20×28 cm) with butter and place the sliced potatoes, exactly as in the picture. Salt and pepper at the end.
2Finely chop the onion and fry it in a piece of butter. Cut the peeled bacon into small cubes, add them to the onion and fry for about 5 minutes. Peel the cooled eggs and cut them into wheels. Then place them on potatoes all over the surface. Spread the fried bacon with onions on them too.
3Continue with another layer of potatoes over the entire surface. Press them back, so that they nicely stick together. Whip the whipping cream with eggs, season with mustard or vegetables without salt (your preference). Pour this mixture over the folded potatoes and place a few slices of butter too. Bake in the oven at 200 °C for approximately 20 minutes.
4Cover potatoes with aluminium foil, so that they do not burn on top. After 20-30 minutes, uncover them and spread grated Edam cheese or mozzarella (your preference) over the entire surface. Bake for another 10 minutes until turning golden, also from the bottom.
5
Let the baked potatoes sit for a while. Then decorate with parsley and chives. A suitable side dish may be a pickled cucumber, a cabbage or a favourite vegetable salad you like to make.
Good job! Bon appetite to your juicy French boulangère potatoes!
Any potatoes left? No worries! Hana’s Recipes has prepared several options for you where you can ideally utilise your leftovers: Delicious potato salad, an excellent side dish to breathtaking salmon or to any mentioned meal prep ideas on the portal. Enjoy!
Similar videorecipe for French boulangère potatoes
FAQ 1: Can I make boulangère potatoes ahead of time?
No issue at all! French boulangère potatoes can be prepared in advance and reheated right before serving which should not affect their overall taste at all, especially when served a day or two after the baking time. What many people also do is refrigerating boulangère potatoes before baking which allows you to easily prepare the meal but bake it once you are fully ready with consuming.
FAQ 2: Are boulangère potatoes gluten-free?
Yes, French boulangère potatoes are typically gluten-free, however the broth or stock used to moisten them needs to be gluten-free as well. Make sure to always double check the ingredient labels and packages when utilising store-bought broth or stock for boulangère potatoes.
