4large, long potatoes or 8 medium-sized potatoespeeled (about 800g/1.75lbs - 900g/2lbs)
2tbspvegetable oil
3tbspunsalted butter
2clovesgarlicpeeled and sliced in half
2sprigs of fresh thyme
240ml(1 cup) hot chicken stockuse strong stock if you can - I use 2 chicken oxo cubes with 240ml/1cup water.
½tspsalt
¼tspfreshly ground black pepper
To Serve:
sprigs of fresh thyme
Maldon salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
Peel the potatoes and slice the ends off, so they’re flat. You want a decent amount of surface area for the flat bits, so be sure to slice off a good amount, so the potatoes are the same width all the way along (not tapering at the ends).
4 large, long potatoes or 8 medium-sized potatoes
Cut the potatoes into 2” tall cylinders (you should get 2 cylinders out of a large, long potato and 1 out of a smaller potato).
Heat the oil on the hob (cooker-top) in an oven-proof frying pan on a high heat until hot. Place the potatoes in the pan, flat side down and cook for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. You may need to move them slightly a couple of times to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Turn the potatoes over, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
Add the butter, garlic, and thyme and let the butter melt in the pan.
Stir the garlic and thyme with the butter to infuse the flavours for a minute, then baste the potatoes with the butter.
Remove the garlic (or it will burn) and pour the chicken stock around the potatoes. Pour it in slowly and carefully as it will bubble and may splash.
240 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock
Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes.
½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Check the potatoes are tender (insert a sharp knife into one of the potatoes – it should slide in easily). If they’re not yet tender, place them back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. Top up with a splash of hot stock if the pan starts to look too dry. There should only be a tiny amount of stock left at the end of cooking – giving the base of the potatoes a slight stickiness.
Once tender, serve topped with sprigs of fresh thyme and a sprinkling of Maldon salt.
sprigs of fresh thyme, Maldon salt
Video
Notes
Type of potatoes to use:I use Maris Pipers - which are a floury potato. This ensures the potatoes have a lovely fluffy interior that absorb lots of flavour. King Edward, Rooster and Russet also work great.Can I make them ahead?You can partly make them ahead. Fry the potatoes on both sides, add the butter, garlic and thyme and baste them, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. On the day, remove from the fridge, remove the garlic, add the stock, salt and pepper and roast in the oven as per the recipe.Ingredient swaps:
Swap the white potatoes for sweet potatoes - they'll need about 10 minutes or so less cooking time, as sweet potatoes cook quicker.
Swap the herbs - add rosemary, lemon thyme, oregano or dried mixed herbs
How to scale up and scale down this recipeYou can halve or double the recipe, using the same quantities. If you're halving the quantity, use a small frying pan (so the stock doesn't evaporate too quickly). You may need to top up the stock a little towards the end of the time in the oven.Nutritional Information is per serving (this recipe serves 4).