Name: Lyonnaise Potatoes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 small), peeled, sliced into ¼"-thick rounds; 3 Tbsp. plus 1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt, divided; plus more; 4 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar, divided; 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided; 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley, divided; ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more

Sliced potatoes on a plate with caramelized onions and fresh parsley.

Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine

A good Lyonnaise potatoes recipe, or pommes de terre sautées à la Lyonnaise in French, is a thing of beauty. Humble spuds are sliced, cooked in butter until golden brown, tossed with caramelized onions, and showered with chopped parsley for a dish that is far more than the sum of its parts.

The trick for great Lyonnaise potatoes is to cook the potatoes in two stages—boiling, then pan-frying them—to achieve a silky smooth interior that perfectly contrasts the crisp, golden exterior. Boiling the sliced potatoes in heavily salted water with a splash of vinegar gives them a head start on cooking to ensure that they are as tender as possible. The vinegar not only adds a nice pop of acid to contrast the richness of the potatoes, but it also helps them tenderize while retaining their shape, a technique I learned from Serious Eats’ Kristina Razon’s method of making the classic dish. While the potatoes boil, onions get cooked until golden brown and jammy, a step that takes patience but is worth the wait. The two components are tossed together to create the perfect balance of sweet, salty, savory, and rich.

Serve these potatoes as a side to a hearty main like roast chicken or pork, or eat them as a simple treat whenever a hankering for buttery potatoes kicks in.

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