Description
These herby roast potatoes are golden, crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, infused with the fragrant flavors of fresh herbs and garlic. Perfectly roasted in rapeseed oil and butter for that irresistible crispiness, they make a classic and comforting side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes and Herbs
- 1½ kg Maris Piper potatoes, cut into quarters, peel reserved
- ½ bunch of woody herbs (thyme, rosemary, or bay)
- 6 garlic cloves, lightly bashed
Fats and Oils
- 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 50g butter
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp sea salt (for sprinkling)
- Salt (for boiling water)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 220C (200C fan) or gas mark 8. Put 4 tablespoons of rapeseed oil into a large flameproof baking tray and place it in the oven to heat up thoroughly.
- Boil the potatoes: Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the quartered potatoes along with their reserved peel to the boiling water, letting them simmer gently for 8-10 minutes to start softening and infusing flavor.
- Drain and steam-dry: Drain the potatoes and discard the peel. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for around 15 minutes to remove excess moisture, helping achieve crispiness.
- Rough up the edges: Return the drained potatoes to the empty pan, cover with a lid, and gently shake the pan. This roughs up the potato edges so they roast into a crunchy texture.
- Heat butter and add potatoes to hot oil: Carefully remove the tray with hot oil from the oven and place it on the stovetop over medium heat. Add 50g butter to melt into the oil. Using tongs, add the potatoes one by one into the hot butter-oil mix, turning them to coat thoroughly and leaving space between each.
- Add herbs and garlic: Nestle the half bunch of woody herbs and the lightly bashed garlic cloves evenly around the potatoes in the tray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sea salt over the potatoes for seasoning.
- Roast and turn: Lower the oven temperature to 200C (180C fan) or gas mark 6. Return the tray to the oven and roast the potatoes for 1 hour. Turn them occasionally during roasting to ensure even browning and crispness.
- Serve: Once golden and crisp all over, remove the potatoes from the oven and serve warm as a delicious herby roast potato side dish.
Notes
- Maris Piper potatoes are recommended for their fluffy texture; other starchy potatoes can be used as alternatives.
- Retaining the potato peel during boiling infuses extra flavor but is discarded before roasting for a crisp finish.
- Turning the potatoes throughout roasting helps achieve a uniformly crispy exterior.
- Use tongs to handle the hot potatoes safely while coating them in butter and oil.
- The herbs can be customized to your preference, using thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, or a mix.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: herby roast potatoes, crispy roast potatoes, roast potatoes with garlic and herbs, British side dish, oven roasted potatoes
