Parmentier potatoes are crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. The perfect French potato recipe roasted with fresh herbs and garlic.
A super easy side to make, and it's pretty fail safe too. I love this one for entertaining as I can parboil my potatoes in advance. The dryer they are the crunchier they will be after roasting.
Then I whack them in the oven to roast. Timed so they are served straight from the oven hot and crunchy.
Sara xxx
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: You can use your favourite baking oil, my preference is mild tasting olive oil.
- Salt: A sprinkle before serving to enhance the flavours.
- Thyme: Use fresh, I simply remove the leaves by running the stalk between my thumb and forefinger.
- Potato: Use your favourite baking potato. There are so many potato varieties around the world. If you are new to baking potatoes check with your local greengrocer for their recommendation.
- Rosemary: Again use fresh, remove leaves from the stalk and roughly chop.
- Garlic: 2 -3 cloves, depending on how big the cloves are.
- Bay leaves: This is optional. I add a couple to the roasting tray as I have a bay tree in my back yard.
You will see the word Parmentier (pronounced par-maan-tyé) associated with many French dishes that feature potatoes as a hero ingredient, e.g. Parmentier Potatoes. Monsieur Antoine Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813) was a French chemist who studied potatoes and escalated their importance as food in France. Making humble spud crops more than simply animal fodder.
Recipe Walk Through
Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Place peeled and chopped potatoes in saucepan with a sprinkle of salt
Bring water up to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for roughly 5 minutes.
You are parboiling the potatoes not cooking them. The aim is to take the potatoes out when they start to go tender but are still firm.
Drain potatoes into a large colander, place colander over the saucepan. Do not shake them. Leave them to cool and dry out.
While the potatoes are cooling preheat oven 220°C (430°F).
After letting the oven preheat for 10 minutes, place oil in shallow roasting tin and place in the oven.
After 5 minutes carefully remove the roasting tin from the oven and tip in the cooled and dry potatoes.
Be careful when tipping your potatoes into the hot oil in the roasting tin. If there is water on your potatoes it may make the oil spit and could burn you.
Toss the potatoes well in the oil, make sure they are in a single layer, and place the roasting tin back into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes.
While the Parmentier potatoes are roasting mix garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl.
After 20 minutes remove potatoes from the oven. In the roasting tin toss potatoes in the garlic herb mixture well. Scatter the bay leaves amongst the potatoes.
Make sure potatoes are arranged in a single layer and return to the oven. Roast for a further 20 minutes.
Around the 10-12 minute mark turn the potatoes over to they evenly brown and crisp.
Potatoes are ready when they are golden brown.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Sprinkle potatoes with a little sea salt and serve either on individual plates or a large bowl/plate for family style dining.
Printable Recipe
Parmentier Potatoes
Special Equipment
- shallow roasting tin or oven tray with sides
- chopping board + sharp knife
- large saucepan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil | or your favourite oil you bake with
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) potatoes | peeled and cut into 3-4 cm (1-1 ½ inches) squares/rectangles
- 3 cloves garlic | crushed
- 2 sprigs rosemary | leaves removed from the stalk
- 2 sprigs thyme | leaves removed from the stalk
- 2-3 fresh bay leaves
- salt to season
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Place peeled and chopped potatoes in saucepan with a sprinkle of salt
- Bring water up to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for roughly 5 minutes. You are parboiling the potatoes not cooking them. The aim is to take the potatoes out when they start to go tender but are still firm.
- Drain potatoes into a large colander, place colander over the saucepan. Do not shake them. Leave them to cool and dry out.
- While the potatoes are cooling down preheat oven 220°C (430°F).
- After letting the oven preheat for 10 minutes, place oil in shallow roasting tin and place in the oven.
- After 5 minutes carefully remove the roasting tin from the oven and tip in the cooled and dry potatoes. Be careful when tipping your potatoes into the hot oil in the roasting tin. If there is water on your potatoes it may make the oil spit and could burn you.
- Toss the potatoes well in the oil, make sure they are in a single layer, and place the roasting tin back into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting mix garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl.
- After 20 minutes remove potatoes from the oven. In the roasting tin toss potatoes in the garlic herb mixture well. Scatter the bay leaves amongst the potatoes. Make sure potatoes are arranged in a single layer and return to the oven. Roast for a further 20 minutes.
- Around the 10-12 minute mark turn the potatoes over to they evenly brown and crisp.
- Potatoes are ready when they are golden brown.
- Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Sprinkle potatoes with a little sea salt and serve either on individual plates or a large bowl/plate for family style dining.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
More Classic Sides
You can find other tasty sides on Belly Rumbles along side these Parmentier potatoes. Head to our Side Recipe category. Plus a few of my faveourites below including my mum's braised red cabbage, and French peas.
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