This recipe for Lyonnaise Potatoes is a side dish that originated in Lyon, France. The classic French cuisine of potatoes and onions is pan-fried in butter and garlic until they are crispy and tender. They are often garnished with fresh parsley and served as a side or for a tasty snack anytime.
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Ways to Make Potatoes
There are more ways to make potatoes than you can shake a stick at. You can mash them, slice them, dice them, bake them, and grill them to name a few.
The Lyonnaise Potatoes recipe is pretty much standardized with each recipe author having a slite variation on ingredients. The biggest variation is in which potatoes to use, some different types are russet, yellow or golden, and red potatoes. The one thing that always remains constant is the use of sliced potatoes and onions, that never changes.
How to Store Lyonnaise Potatoes
Like most all other cooked foods, you will need to refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 year.
History of Lyonnaise Potatoes
The potato dates back to about 10,000 years ago when the indigenous peoples of Peru first domesticated it. Now the onion was domestication about 7,000 years ago in Southwest or Central Asia. So these two great flavors did not meet until the European discovery of the New World.
It arrived in Europe sometime before the end of the 16th century by two different ports of entry: the first in Spain around 1570, and the second via the British Isles between 1588 and 1593. The first written mention of the potato is a receipt for delivery dated 28 November 1567 between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Antwerp.
Lyonnaise Potatoes is a french dish of pan-fried potatoes, that originated around 1845 in the city of Lyon, which is located in a region called Rhone-Alpes in France.
The City of Lyon, France
Lyon, the capital city in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, sits at the junction of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Its center reflects 2,000 years of history from the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux (Old) Lyon, to the modern Confluence district on Presqu’île peninsula. Traboules, covered passageways between buildings, connect Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse hill.
A Brief History of Lyon, France
A Roman military colony called Lugdunum was founded there in 43 BCE, and it subsequently became the capital of the Gauls. Lyon reached its peak of classical development in the 2nd century CE, during which time Christianity was introduced. In 177 the Christian community was persecuted by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, and in 197 Lucius Septimius Severus decimated Lyon.
In 1032 Lyon was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, but the real power lay with the city’s archbishops, whose influence caused important ecumenical councils to be held there in 1245 and again in 1274. Lyon was annexed to the kingdom of France in 1312.
The French Revolution brought uneasy times. The collapse of the domestic market and the closing of foreign markets brought a slump in the silk industry, and in 1793 the city was besieged by the republican forces of the Montagnards.
In the 19th century, prosperity returned, bringing about considerable industrial expansion. Urban development began only in the 1950s, after the periods of stagnation and depression between 1920 and the end of World War II.
Toursim in Lyon, France
Lyon is spread over a narrow peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers and on their opposite banks. A zone of the factory and residential suburbs encircles the city. On the right bank of the Saône, Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) remains as one of the finest surviving architectural complexes of the Renaissance era. The peninsula is now the heart of the business district. The east bank of the Rhône is divided between a wealthy area, the Brotteaux, and a district with factories and workers’ houses extending east toward the fringing communities of Villeurbanne and Bron. To the south, along the Rhône, Feyzin and Saint-Fons constitute one of the largest oil-refining complexes in France.
French Cuisine
French cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of France. Its cuisine has been influenced throughout the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, in addition to its own food traditions on the long western coastlines of the Atlantic, the Channel, and inland. The city of Lyon, France takes credit for this recipe.
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How to Make This Lyonnaise Potatoes Recipe
Equipment and Ingredients you will need to make Lyonnaise Potatoes
Equipment Needed
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients Needed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
- 3 onions, julienned
- 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- salt and white pepper, to taste
Cook Tips
- Slice the potatoes in the same thickness for even cooking. They should be about 1/4 inch, not be too thick or too thin.
- Use a cast-iron skillet to cook the potatoes. Bring the skillet to temperature before adding the oil so it does not burn.
- Serve the potatoes right away, as they will have the perfect texture: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Time needed: 40 minutes.
How to Cook Lyonnaise Potatoes
- Cook the Potatoes
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, cover the bottom of the pan with half the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with half the butter and repeat so all the potatoes and butter are used. Cook until potatoes begin to brown on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Sauté the Onions
Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until onions and potatoes are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the Garlic
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss together.
- Garnish and Serve
Using a spatula, gently lift potatoes out of the pan and place them on a serving platter. Garnish with parsley.
Serve Lyonnaise Potatoes alongside beef, fish, pork, or turkey instead of the traditional mashed potatoes for something different and delicious.
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Lyonnaise Potatoes
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Equipment
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and sliced thin
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 3 yellow onion julienned
- 2 tbsp garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, cover the bottom of the pan with half the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with half the butter and repeat so all the potatoes and butter are used. Cook until potatoes begin to brown on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes.2 tbsp olive oil, 2 lbs russet potatoes, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, salt, white pepper
- Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until onions and potatoes are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.3 yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss together.2 tbsp garlic
- Using a spatula, gently lift potatoes out of the pan and place them on a serving platter. Garnish with parsley.1 tbsp fresh parsley
Nutrition
Other Recipes That Will Go Well With the Lyonnaise Potatoes
Photo Credits:
- By Taste The World Cookbook – Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
- By Agastache Restaurant – Copyright BY https://www.facebook.com/Agastache-Restaurant-102006594689077/
- By Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada – France-003038 – Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111059691
- By Qmin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111059699
- By TwoWings – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15636363
- By Tibidibtibo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33390636
- By edwin.11 – Streets of Lyon, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24429668
- By Basilio – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4318460
- By Samolymp – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37771861
- Vegan Feast Catering, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
