Are you a sweet potato or a potato potato person during Christmas? I have to admit I’m a potato person. Maybe I’ve eaten sweet potato so much I’m already over it, but I just prefer to get my sweet dose elsewhere. These crispy baked potatoes are perfect because they’re first cooked in water and then placed in the oven where they get this lovely colour and texture: crispy outside and really soft on the inside.
This technique to cook potatoes I first saw on the Jamie Oliver Facebook page and they looked so good I just had to make them. And just like I thought, they were incredible.
I chose to flavour them with thyme, garlic, olive oil and butter, but you can choose whichever flavours you prefer: switch the fat or choose only one, switch the herb or add more, and add spices if you like.
I love how thyme goes with poultry in general and with a nice piece of turkey these potatoes would be soooo perfect. But then turkey is another post’s business ;).
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes, medium-small size
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 100 ml olive oil extra virgin
- 50 g melted unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- a gusto sal y pimienta
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and put them in a pot with water and 1 tbsp of salt. This helps the potato release water as it's cooking and so the result is a dried potato that goes crispier in the oven.
- Put the pot on medium heat. It helps that the water starts from cold because the potatoes then increase temperature together with the water and cooks more evenly. Also don't let it come to a full boil as it will cook the outside of the potato faster that the inside.
- Cook the potatoes until they are nice and soft. So much that it starts to disintegrate on the outside when you handle it.
- Take them out of the water and on to an oven tray. Add the rest of the ingredients to them and take to an oven at 200C for 40min.
- Take them out and flip if they're crispy underneath. If they need more time, leave them more time.
- Before returning to the oven give them a slight crush with a spatula to flatten them a bit. This will make them even softer on the inside.
- Back into the oven for 20-30 extra minutes or until completely golden.
- Serve with extra thyme and enjoy!
