Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Thyme

Toss the sprigs in with the oil at the beginning. They dry, crisp and shatter into the crust instead of sitting on top of it.

Why the thyme matters here. This is the clearest side-by-side on the site: parsley goes on after roasting, thyme goes in before. Thyme's oils survive dry heat, so the potatoes taste of it all the way through.

Home kitchen · 4 to 6 servings

• 12 sprigs Fresh thyme, whole sprigs plus 2 tbsp picked leaves
• 3 lb Baby Yukon or red potatoes, halved
• 10 cloves Garlic, skins on, smashed
• 1/2 cup Olive oil or duck fat
• 2 oz Butter, to finish
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano, grated (optional)
• to taste Flaky salt and black pepper

Herb quantities are given in loose cups, not weight — a cup should look like too much before you chop it.

Method

1. 1 Parboil the halved potatoes in heavily salted water 8 minutes, drain, and shake them in the colander until the edges go shaggy.
2. 2 Preheat the oven to 425°F with the oil already on the sheet pan.
3. 3 Tip the potatoes onto the hot pan with the smashed garlic and whole thyme sprigs. Roast 40 minutes, turning once.
4. 4 In the last 5 minutes add the butter and the picked thyme leaves and toss so everything glazes.
5. 5 Finish with flaky salt, pepper and cheese, and leave the crisped sprigs in the bowl.