Lamb Chop Fond Potatoes (Cast Iron)

Crowd-size Honey Gold potatoes par-cooked, then crisped in batches with lamb drippings and fond before a garlic-parsley-lemon finish.

Main: 240 oz Honey Gold potatoes Serves: ~20-24 Pan: Cast iron Finish: Batch crisp + herb finish
1 / 6

Overview

What You're Making

This version is built for a crowd: par-cook the Honey Golds, then crisp them in batches using the lamb-chop skillet so each round picks up a little lamb fat and fond without steaming.

  • Par-cook 15 lb of potatoes in well-salted water
  • Drain + rough up the surfaces for extra crisp edges
  • Work in batches with the lamb-chop skillet
  • Hold finished rounds on sheet pans in a hot oven
  • Finish everything together with garlic, parsley, and lemon
Important: Brown fond is flavor. Burned black bits are bitterness. For a batch this large, refresh the pan as needed and keep only the clean browned drippings.

Step 1

Par-Cook the Potatoes

  • Bring a large pot or two pots of water to a boil and season it until it tastes lightly salty.
  • Add potatoes and the baking soda if using.
  • Simmer 10-14 minutes, until a knife slides in easily but the pieces still hold together.
  • Drain well and let the potatoes steam off for 5 minutes so excess moisture disappears.
Why par-cook first: you get fluffy centers without having to steam the skillet later, which keeps the fond from washing away and lets each batch crisp faster.

Measurements

PotatoesAlternatives: Baby gold potatoes, Fingerlings15 lb Baking soda1 tbsp

Step 2

Rough Up + Preheat

  • Shake the drained potatoes in the colander or toss them in a bowl until the outsides look a little scruffy.
  • Season with about 2 tbsp kosher salt to start; use less if your lamb drippings are already salty.
  • Preheat the oven to 425F and set out 2-3 sheet pans for holding finished batches.
Texture trick: rough, starchy edges crisp better than smooth ones.

Measurements

Kosher salt~2 tbsp

Step 3

Set Up for Batch Cooking

  • Cook your lamb chops first, then transfer them to a plate to rest.
  • For each round, leave or add about 1/4 cup drippings plus some browned fond to the skillet.
  • Set the pan over medium-high for a minute or two before each batch.
  • If the fond looks stuck and dry, add 1-2 tbsp water around the edge and scrape just enough to loosen the browned bits into the fat.
You want a thin glossy film in the skillet, not a pool. For 15 lb of potatoes, expect roughly 5-6 batches unless you're using multiple skillets.

Measurements

Lamb drippings~¼ cup per batch

Step 4

Crisp in Batches

  • Add only enough potatoes for a single layer and press the cut sides into the pan.
  • Cook 4-6 minutes without fussing until the first side picks up real color.
  • Turn the potatoes once, then transfer the skillet to the oven for 12-18 minutes until deeply browned and crisp.
  • Move the finished batch to a sheet pan, hold warm in the oven, and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Don't crowd the pan. Space is what gives you crust. If the pan is packed, the potatoes steam and the fond turns muddy.

Step 5

Finish the Full Batch

  • Return one finished batch to the skillet over medium-low, or use a large roasting pan for the final toss.
  • Add 1 tbsp butter at a time if using, then add the garlic and stir 10-15 seconds until fragrant.
  • Toss in the remaining potatoes, then turn off the heat and add parsley + lemon juice.
  • Taste and adjust with more salt and a little black pepper if you want.
Finish off heat: garlic should smell sweet and fragrant, not brown; lemon wakes up the lamb richness without making the potatoes taste sharp. Toss gently so the crisp edges survive.

Measurements

Butter4 tbsp Garlic6–8 cloves ParsleyAlternatives: Fresh dill, Fresh mint1 cup Lemon juice3–4 tbsp

This is a large batch: plan to crisp in rounds. Keep the good brown fond; ditch any bitter black bits.

  • 240 oz small Honey Gold potatoes (15 lb), halved if tiny or quartered if on the larger side
  • Kosher salt (about 2 tbsp for the potatoes, plus more for the boiling water)
  • 1 tbsp baking soda (optional, but helps create rough crisp edges)
  • 1-1 1/2 cups lamb fat + fond total, collected from cooking lamb chops and supplemented with rendered lamb fat or olive oil as needed
  • 4 tbsp butter (optional, divided for the finish)
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, very finely minced or grated
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Black pepper (optional)
Fallback: One skillet of lamb chops usually will not yield enough fat for 15 lb of potatoes. Save drippings from multiple batches, or supplement with rendered lamb fat or olive oil so the potatoes fry instead of sticking.

Overview

What You're Making

This version is built for a crowd: par-cook the Honey Golds, then crisp them in batches using the lamb-chop skillet so each round picks up a little lamb fat and fond without steaming.

  • Par-cook 15 lb of potatoes in well-salted water
  • Drain + rough up the surfaces for extra crisp edges
  • Work in batches with the lamb-chop skillet
  • Hold finished rounds on sheet pans in a hot oven
  • Finish everything together with garlic, parsley, and lemon
Important: Brown fond is flavor. Burned black bits are bitterness. For a batch this large, refresh the pan as needed and keep only the clean browned drippings.

Step 1

Par-Cook the Potatoes

  • Bring a large pot or two pots of water to a boil and season it until it tastes lightly salty.
  • Add potatoes and the baking soda if using.
  • Simmer 10-14 minutes, until a knife slides in easily but the pieces still hold together.
  • Drain well and let the potatoes steam off for 5 minutes so excess moisture disappears.
Why par-cook first: you get fluffy centers without having to steam the skillet later, which keeps the fond from washing away and lets each batch crisp faster.

Measurements

PotatoesAlternatives: Baby gold potatoes, Fingerlings15 lb Baking soda1 tbsp

Step 2

Rough Up + Preheat

  • Shake the drained potatoes in the colander or toss them in a bowl until the outsides look a little scruffy.
  • Season with about 2 tbsp kosher salt to start; use less if your lamb drippings are already salty.
  • Preheat the oven to 425F and set out 2-3 sheet pans for holding finished batches.
Texture trick: rough, starchy edges crisp better than smooth ones.

Measurements

Kosher salt~2 tbsp

Step 3

Set Up for Batch Cooking

  • Cook your lamb chops first, then transfer them to a plate to rest.
  • For each round, leave or add about 1/4 cup drippings plus some browned fond to the skillet.
  • Set the pan over medium-high for a minute or two before each batch.
  • If the fond looks stuck and dry, add 1-2 tbsp water around the edge and scrape just enough to loosen the browned bits into the fat.
You want a thin glossy film in the skillet, not a pool. For 15 lb of potatoes, expect roughly 5-6 batches unless you're using multiple skillets.

Measurements

Lamb drippings~¼ cup per batch

Step 4

Crisp in Batches

  • Add only enough potatoes for a single layer and press the cut sides into the pan.
  • Cook 4-6 minutes without fussing until the first side picks up real color.
  • Turn the potatoes once, then transfer the skillet to the oven for 12-18 minutes until deeply browned and crisp.
  • Move the finished batch to a sheet pan, hold warm in the oven, and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Don't crowd the pan. Space is what gives you crust. If the pan is packed, the potatoes steam and the fond turns muddy.

Step 5

Finish the Full Batch

  • Return one finished batch to the skillet over medium-low, or use a large roasting pan for the final toss.
  • Add 1 tbsp butter at a time if using, then add the garlic and stir 10-15 seconds until fragrant.
  • Toss in the remaining potatoes, then turn off the heat and add parsley + lemon juice.
  • Taste and adjust with more salt and a little black pepper if you want.
Finish off heat: garlic should smell sweet and fragrant, not brown; lemon wakes up the lamb richness without making the potatoes taste sharp. Toss gently so the crisp edges survive.

Measurements

Butter4 tbsp Garlic6–8 cloves ParsleyAlternatives: Fresh dill, Fresh mint1 cup Lemon juice3–4 tbsp

Copy Prompt

iPhone may block silent clipboard writes here. Your prompt is ready below. Tap Share / Copy, or press and hold in the text box to copy it manually.