Pommes Persillade Is The Perfect Potato Side To Accompany Brunch

Of the many ways to prepare potatoes, there is no better method for brunch than to dice them up and fry them in a pan. The resulting crunchy, crispy exterior, and moist, fluffy interior gives all the benefits of perfectly roasted potatoes in small, bite-sized, flavor-packed morsels. In diner parlance, these are known as home fries. However, there is a delightful French variation known as pommes persillade that can take potatoes to a whole new level. Wonderfully crispy and packed with savory, herby flavor, pommes persillade offers a great accompaniment to a hearty brunch. 

Though the full French for potatoes is pommes de terre, more often than not it is simply shortened to pommes. French cuisine is littered with creative potato dishes, but the one we're looking at today brings in another classic French sauce, which is the real key to the flavor. Persillade typically comprises garlic, oil, salt, some kind of acid like lemon juice or vinegar, and a whole lot of parsley (persil means parsley in French). Everything is mashed together to make a delightfully herby sauce that is specifically designed to elevate flavor. 

To make pommes persillade, you need to parboil the potatoes, then fry them in a hot skillet, before tossing them in the persillade sauce. Melted butter is a great swap for oil here, as it lends some excellent textural quality to the potatoes. Once they are ready, you can pair the pommes with any number of flavorful brunch offerings.

Now, classic, diner-style home fries can be served with just about any brunch food, even the sweeter ones like french toast and pancakes. However, because of the herbaceous nature of pommes persillade, they really only pair well with more savory brunch items. Thankfully, there is no shortage of those.

Being a combination of breakfast and lunch, brunch offers a few different directions for you to go in. If you're angling for breakfast, eggs are the answer. Fried, scrambled, or poached, and slathered in hollandaise are all excellent options. Omelets, too, will pair wonderfully with the crunch and garlicky-parsely freshness of the pommes persillade, especially if they are packed with additional herbs and spices. 

If you are in more of a lunch mood, you might consider swapping out your french fries for some pomme persillade. There's no rule that says these can't be finger food. Pair them with your favorite savory sandwich or, if you're feeling particularly decadent, you could even make yourself a succulent steak to go alongside the potatoes. Better yet, spoon a little persillade over the steak for extra flavor. You'd be hard-pressed to find a way to go wrong with these flavorful little bites.