These parmentier potatoes are crunchy, golden roast potatoes with soft and fluffy insides, baked with garlic, rosemary and thyme. This easy and delicious French side goes with so many dishes, from roast dinners to poached salmon!
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What are Parmentier Potatoes?
Parmentier potatoes are oven roasted potatoes with garlic and herbs. Originally the cubes of potatoes were fried in butter, however this recipe uses slightly healthier olive oil.
These delicious cubed roast potatoes are named after a French man called Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. In eighteenth century France potatoes were not popular and were even banned at one point as eating them was rumoured to lead to various illnesses. Parmentier managed to persuade the French that potatoes were actually a delicious – and safe – thing to eat after eating them in jail, and surviving. Many potato dishes, including this one, are named after him.
Alongside Duchess potatoes and this herby potato salad, these roast potatoes are always a popular side!
Ingredients Notes And Substitutions
(For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card at the end of the post.)
- Potatoes – the best types of potatoes for crunchy roast potatoes are Dutch cream, Sebago or Desiree if you are in Australia; Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK; or Yukon Gold if you are in the US.
- Olive oil – just a regular olive oil, not EVOO.
- Garlic – crushed garlic is added towards the end of cooking, otherwise it will burn.
- Rosemary and thyme – if you don’t have fresh herbs, substitute with dried herbs.
How to make Parmentier potatoes
(Full, detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.)
- Cut the potatoes into chunks. I prefer to leave them with their skins on however you can peel them if you prefer.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water, then leave to steam to get rid of any moisture. Shake the pan a little to fluff up the edges of the potatoes. (This helps the potatoes become extra crunchy!)
- Place the potatoes on a preheated tray and roast in the oven.
- Take out of the oven, add the garlic and herbs.
- Mix well before placing back in the oven and cooking until golden brown.
FAQ
Yes – parboiling the potatoes cooks them enough so the outside will become crisp, and the inside will be lovely and soft.
Floury potatoes are the best for roasting, as they get crispy on the outside but stay soft and fluffy on the inside. If you’re in the UK: I recommend Maris Piper or King Edward, Australia: Desiree or Dutch Cream, and if you’re in America, I recommend Yukon Gold or Russets.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing them.
My Recipe Tips
- Don’t over parboil the potatoes – if you do, they will not keep their shape and turn to mush.
- Don’t be tempted to add the garlic and herbs at the beginning, as they will burn.
- The oven temperature: I roasted the potato cubes at both 200˚C (392˚F) and 180˚C (356˚F). Whilst 200˚C (392˚F) gave slightly crispier potatoes, if you have another dish in the oven that requires it to be at 180˚C (356˚F), then still cook the potatoes, but they will take 10-15 minutes longer to become golden.
- Have leftover roast potatoes? This Spanish tortilla is a delicious and easy recipe to use them up!
More easy side dishes
Parmentier Potatoes (Garlic and Herb Roast Potatoes)
Author: Robyn
Ingredients
- 700g (1.5 lb) Potatoes chopped into 2.5cm/1" cubes – no need to peel, just wash them.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set the oven to 200°C fan / 220˚C / 392˚F convection / 428˚F
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.
- Whilst the water is coming to the boil, chop the potatoes into 2cm (0.75") cubes.
- Carefully add the chopped potatoes to the water and boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes then return to the pan and steam for 2-3 minutes. Then shake the pan a little to fluff up the edges (this helps create extra crunchy potatoes!).
- While the potatoes are steaming, add the olive oil to a baking tray and place in the oven.
- Carefully take the tray out of the oven and add the potatoes – the oil may spit a little so take care – turn the potatoes to coat in the hot oil.
- Return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, take them out of the oven and add the garlic, chopped rosemary, thyme and season with salt and black pepper.
- Mix well to coat the potatoes in the seasonings, then return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until golden.
- Serve straight away.
Notes
Nutrition
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Amy Liu Dong says
Another addition to my potato recipe list, this looks so delicious and yummy. I may say that we can never go wrong with potatoes as the main ingredients in any dish. Loved it!
Robyn says
We are a huge fan of potatoes too! Thanks Amy!
Audrey says
This was a wonderful side dish for dinner.
Robyn says
Glad you enjoyed the potatoes Audrey! They are such a great side dish!
Alexandra Cook says
We were looking for a side dish to serve with roast chicken, and these worked so well. So crunchy and loved the herbs!
Robyn says
They go so well with chicken don’t they? So happy to hear you enjoyed them Alexandra!