Appetizer
Serves 4
Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Pommes Frites & Chocolate Milkshake
Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel has created crispy pommes frites (fries) coated in Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Cereal for the ultimate crunchy indulgence, paired with a rich chocolate milkshake.

Ingredients
French Fries
- 4 large potatoes (Chef Dominique Ansel prefers Russet potatoes for this recipe)
- 4 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 1 box Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate cereal
French Fry Batter
- 2 large eggs
- 170 g all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 150 g whole milk (2/3) cup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Maldon sea salt to taste
Dark Chocolate Ganache (for milkshake)
- 218 g dark chocolate* chopped (7 1/4 oz, about 1 1/4 cups)
- 43 g unsalted butter room temperature (3 tbsp)
- 218 g heavy cream (3/4 cup + 3 tbsp)
- 44 g whole milk (3 tbsp)
Chocolate Milkshake
- 200 g dark chocolate ganache (recipe below)
- 2 pints vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache (this can be done the day before and stored in the fridge):
- Bring the cream and milk to just a boil in a pot, then turn off the heat.
- Put your chopped chocolate into a large bowl. You’ll want the bowl to be large enough to fit the cream as well.
- Gently pour the cream a little at a time over the chocolate, and whisk until smooth. *TIP: You’re whisking to melt the chocolate here, not to incorporate air. Stop whisking when all the chocolate is melted.
- Add the butter and continue whisking until fully incorporated. (Adding butter gives the ganache a tiny bit of shine and sheen and also helps give the ganache a smooth mouthfeel.) Once the ganache cools to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until set.
- Your finished ganache should be smooth and shiny, without any lumps, and the ingredients should be evenly incorporated.
Make the Pommes Frites:
- Peel & slice your potatoes: Peel the potatoes. Slice them into ¼” wide sticks. Rinse the potatoes with cold water to remove the starch. Transfer onto paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to pay them dry as much as possible.
- Heat the oil: Heat your oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, until it reaches 180°C (350°F), using a thermometer to check so the oil doesn’t get too hot and burn your fries, and adjusting the heat as needed. (Important: Make sure there’s at least 2” of headroom above the surface of your oil, as the oil will bubble up while frying.).
- The first fry: Using a metal slotted spoon or spider, carefully drop in small batches of potatoes at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pot (which causes the temperature of the oil to drop). Fry for about 1-2 minutes, moving them around occasionally (they’ll still be a bit pale in color, but you’ll fry it a second time later). Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack or paper towels. Repeat in batches with the remaining potatoes. Turn off the heat. Let fries cool for about 5-10 min.
- Make the cereal crumbs: Place the Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Cereal and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt in a shallow dish, and stir with a fork to combine. Gently crush the mixture with your hands into smaller crumbs (similar to the size of panko bread crumbs).
- Make the batter: Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the flour until combined. Whisk in the milk until smooth.
- Coat the fries: Drop a small batch of fries into the batter, moving around with a fork until evenly coated. Use the fork to transfer each fry into the crushed cereal crumbs and evenly coat. Transfer the coated fries onto your rack or paper towels.
- The second fry: Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) again. Fry for the second time for about 30 seconds-1 minute, until they are golden and crispy. Transfer to cooling rack/paper towel.
Make the Chocolate Milkshake:
- Put your milkshake glass/cup in the freezer to let chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a scoop of the chilled chocolate ganache into a piping bag. Pipe ganache around the rim of the chilled glass, and coat with Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Cereal.
- Transfer about half of the remaining ganache into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 15-20 seconds a time, stirring in between, until it’s just liquid and pourable.
- Place the ice cream into the blender. Pour in the warm ganache. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass, then enjoy with the fries!
Notes
*TIP: It’s important to use good quality dark chocolate, like Valrhona, and one that’s made with natural ingredients. Chocolates with artificial additives won’t get you that smooth, silky consistency that you’re aiming for here. And make sure not to just substitute with milk or white chocolate in this recipe, as the fat content varies and you won’t get a consistent result.