September 30th is National Soufflé Potato Day, called pommes souffleés in French. It’s a dish that connects us to our youth. We began our foodie life under our mother’s tutelage in grade school. In high school we found a boyfriend with similar interests, and every Saturday night we’d go to another great New York City restaurant.

There was one called Charles a la Pomme Soufflé (“soufflé potato” in English). It closed in 1990, but for years we went there every chance we could get.

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 30 potato holidays
 
 
POMMES SOUFFLÉES HISTORY: AN ACCIDENT!

Like chocolate ganache and Crêpes Suzette, pommes soufflées were one of France’s famous culinary accidents (the U.S. can count chocolate chip cookies, fudge, Popsicles, and potato chips, and the U.K has Worcestershire sauce).

Pommes soufflées began with a royal origin story, dating to a 1837 inauguration of a railway line between Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Chef Jules Collinet, chef for King Louis-Philippe of France* (image #5), was preparing a meal for the king and dignitaries at the Saint-Germain station (some versions place the event at the château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye).

The king’s train was delayed, so Collinet removed the potatoes that were frying in the pan to prevent overcooking in the hot oil. When the king arrived, he placed the partially cooked potatoes back into hot oil and to his (and everyone’s) amazement, the potato slices puffed up like a cross between golden tan pillows and airy, hollow balloons.

It was a visual and gustatory sensation. The technique became a signature of fine French cuisine, spreading beyond the great restaurants of France to the rest of the world.

However, to make pommes soufflées requires significant cooking chops. We tried it a few times, and gave up in favor of Charles’ perfect execution.
 

[5] Louis-Philippe I, King of the French from 1830 to 1848. An 1841 portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (Public Domain).
 
THE RECIPE: POMMES SOUFFLÉES

Actually, we are referring you to this recipe from Eater (photo #1). It’s a not as simple as removing sliced potatoes fromt he pan and returning them to hot oil. Rather, it’s tricky, precise technique better studied on YouTube:

 
Here are the basics:

 
Not every slice will puff successfully. The challenges are uniform thickness, precise temperature control, the right potato variety, and finally, a bit of luck.

One source we consulted relayed that even experienced chefs might only experience a 60%-80% success rate!

So order them when you encounter them, and if you want to try making them, we wish you the very best luck.
 
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*Nicknamed the Citizen King, Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title “King.” He abdicated the throne during the French Revolution of 1848, which led to the foundation of the French Second Republic.

[1] Aren’t you dying for a bite? Here’s the recipe (photo Dina Avila | Eater).

[2] Pommes soufflées are a festive side, perfect with a top cut of beef (Gemini photo).

[3] Personally we could skip the meat and just eat them from the plate (Gemini photo).

[4] Russet potatoes are best for pommes soufflées because their high starch content and dryness are crucial to the technique. The process relies on rapidly sealing the potato surface during the first fry and trapping the internal moisture. The moisture turns to steam and causes the potato slice to puff up like a balloon during the second, higher-temperature fry. But some chefs prefer waxy potatoes. See the †footnote (photo © Good Eggs).

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