Big fat fondant potatoes with miso-dashi broth

Bring chicken broth to a simmer on medium-high heat. Stir in a spoon of miso paste and some instant dashi powder until dissolved; turn off the heat and reserve.

Turn each unpeeled potato on its narrower side and slice straight down on one side for a flat surface, then the other side. Save the scraps.

Cut a little off each end to square the potato, then make two angled cuts at each end to form an octagon. Transfer into cold fresh water.

Drain, transfer to a paper towel lined pan and blot the tops dry; let sit a few minutes.

Heat a large, heavy, oven-safe pan (cast iron) on high. Add a couple tablespoons of high heat oil and place the potatoes in; salt the tops very generously.

Reduce to medium-high and brown three or four minutes, then flip, salt the second side and brown it the same way.

Reduce the heat to medium and soak up the excess oil with paper towel held in tongs.

Add a giant chunk of butter; as it melts, baste it over the tops. Cook until the butter foam turns a nutty brown.

Strain in the miso-dashi broth, turn off the heat and roast in the center of a 425 degree oven about 25 minutes, until the broth has mostly evaporated and a knife slides in but not easily.

Flip the potatoes and add more plain chicken broth, lots if they are still hard, a splash if almost tender; add a splash while roasting whenever needed.

Roast another 20 to 25 minutes, until really tender when tested with a knife. To keep them less dark, do not let all the moisture evaporate.

Brush butter from the bottom of the pan over the tops. Garnish with flowering thyme and flowering chive.

If the pan dried out, add a little hot broth to dissolve the browned bits and spoon it over the potatoes.

Variation: punch a piece out of a cold leftover potato with a ring cutter and crisp it in a pan with a little oil; cold leftovers cook up crispier.