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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Perfect Parmentier Potatoes Every Time

    December 7, 2020 By Sara McCleary Updated December 7, 2020 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    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

    parmentier potatoes on a plate with serving spoon
    What's in this post
    • Ingredients
    • Recipe Walk Through
    • Printable Recipe
    • More Classic Sides

    Ingredients

    recipe ingredients
    1. Olive Oil: You can use your favourite baking oil, my preference is mild tasting olive oil.
    2. Salt: A sprinkle before serving to enhance the flavours.
    3. Thyme: Use fresh, I simply remove the leaves by running the stalk between my thumb and forefinger.
    4. 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.
    5. Rosemary: Again use fresh, remove leaves from the stalk and roughly chop.
    6. Garlic: 2 -3 cloves, depending on how big the cloves are.
    7. Bay leaves: This is optional. I add a couple to the roasting tray as I have a bay tree in my back yard.
    spoon taking some parmentier potatoes from a plate to serve
    What Does Parmentier Mean?

    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

    potatoes cut up in a pot ready to boil

    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.

    potatoes in a baking tray ready for the oven
    potatoes in a pan with herbs ready for the oven

    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.

    potatoes in a baking tray roasted
    finished recipe on a plate to serve

    Printable Recipe

    Parmentier Potatoes

    Parmentier Potatoes

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Parmentier potatoes are crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. The perfect French potato recipe roasted with fresh herbs and garlic.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine French
    Servings 6
    Calories 193 kcal

    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.

    Oven Temperatures

    All oven temperatures are fan forced.

    Measurement Notes

    All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

    Recipe Notes

    LEFTOVERS
    Any leftover potatoes can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    To re-heat place a roasting tin in the oven with a little oil.  Bring oil up to heat as per the original recipe.  Add potatoes and toss.  They should take 10 minutes to become crunchy and warm through.  They taste even better on a second bake!
     
    GENERAL COOK’S NOTES
    All oven temperatures are for a conventional oven, if using fan forced lower the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F).
    All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified;
    • 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;
    Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large)

    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.

    Calories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 10mgPotassium: 708mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 16IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles

    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.

    • braised red cabbage in a bowl, on a plate with two spoons at the side
      My Mum's Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon
    • Petits Pois a la Francaise, French Peas
      Petits Pois a la Francaise, French Peas
    • Japanese Style Grilled Corn
    • easy crispy hasselback potatoes stuffed with prosciutto and basil
      Top Tips for Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
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