Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside – these are my favorite potatoes (especially when thyme is added)!
I love herbs. And no, I’m not referring to certain herbs sold in ‘speciality’ stores in Colorado.
There’s something about a sprinkling of thyme, parsley or rosemary – just to name a few – that adds a little magic to any dish. Even the humble potato.
If you ask me, potatoes are underrated. So just to show the spuds some love, here are a few fun facts about potatoes!
- On average, Americans eat 124 pounds (56 kg) of potatoes every year – and Germans eat 248 pounds (113 kg) a year
- The first people to cultivate potatoes – in 8000-5000 BC – were the Inca Indians in Peru
- Apparently ‘french fries’ were introduced to the US by Thomas Jefferson, who served them at a White House dinner
- Potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space
And yes, potatoes are gluten free. They’re root vegetables, not grains.
I mention this only because the (mis)information about gluten never ceases to amaze me. I’ve overheard people in supermarkets claiming that rice contains gluten, and I know someone once found my blog by Googling the question, ‘are apples gluten free’. Hmm…
Much to my surprise, a Google Search suggests the question ‘are potatoes gluten free’ is quite a popular question!
Anyway, enough about weird things that interest me. Let’s talk about these roasted potatoes!
These potatoes are boiled until just tender, and then baked. I’m not sure what the food science is behind it, but they’re just better this way. This is a cooking tip that I picked up from my mother, who was told it by someone else, and that someone else probably heard it from another friend… and so on.
So please trust me on this one: it’s worth par-boiling the potatoes first.
But I’ll stop being picky there. Feel free to customize the potatoes to suit your whatever’s in your kitchen. Rosemary instead of thyme, garlic rather than onion – whatever you like and/or have on hand.
They are humble potatoes, after all.
- 1 ½ lbs. (680 g) washed potatoes, cut into chunks
- Scant 1 teaspoon salt
- Cold water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ brown onion, thickly sliced
- 1 heaped tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (from approx. 4 - 6 stems)
- Extra salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C).
- Place the chopped potatoes and salt in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are just tender). Drain thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large baking dish. Place in the oven 5 minutes before the potatoes are ready (this heats up the oil).
- Transfer the potatoes, sliced onion, thyme leaves and salt and pepper into the warm baking dish. Shake the dish well (while wearing oven mitts!) to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, turning the potatoes after 20 minutes. The potatoes should be golden and completely cooked through. If any of the onion slices have turned a little too brown, discard them.
- Serve with almost anything you can think of. Enjoy!
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