Parmentier Potatoes (Mini Roast Potatoes)

Parmentier potatoes in an oval dish on white napkins.

Parmentier Potatoes (Mini Roast Potatoes)

Say bonjour to perfectly crispy mini roast potatoes with soft, fluffy centres, all thanks to this easy Parmentier Potatoes recipe from wonderful France.

By roasting bite-sized potato cubes instead of larger spuds, you achieve superior crispness per bite in less roasting time. As the potatoes roast, the exterior moisture evaporates from the small cubes, leaving lost of crunchy edges contrasting the soft, steamy interiors.

5 from 53 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Maretha Corbett

Ingredients

▢ 1 kilogram potatoes - like Maris Piper, Kind Edward, Rooster, Yukon Gold, Desiree
▢ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil - or any plain oil with a high smoking point like sunflower or canola
▢ 3-4 garlic cloves - chopped (about one heaped tablespoon)
▢ 3-4 sprigs rosemary - leaves stripped (about one heaped tablespoon chopped)
▢ salt and pepper to taste - as a guide, we add one teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F/gas mark 7. Have a large baking tray ready.
Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and finely chop the rosemary. Peel and chop the garlic.
3-4 garlic cloves, 3-4 sprigs rosemary
Peel and then slice the potatoes into cubes of roughly 2cm x 2xm.
See blog post on how to slice cubes for Parmentier potatoes.
1 kilogram potatoes
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with cold tap water.
Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat.
Once the potatoes reach a rolling boil, immediately remove them from the heat. Do not boil them for longer.
A rolling boil has large bubbles continuously rising rapidly to the surface. It is more vigorous than a gentle simmer.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander. Then return them to the saucepan and leave to steam-dry for about 5 minutes (don't shake them as you might do for traditional roast potatoes).
Once the potatoes are dry, transfer them to a large bowl.
Add the olive oil, salt and black pepper to the potatoes.
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste
Gently mix the oil and seasoning into the potatoes using a large spoon. Take care to coat each cube thoroughly on all sides.
Use a gentle up-and-over motion to spoon oil from the bottom of the bowl back onto the potatoes.
Tip the well-oiled potato cubes onto the baking tray in a single layer without touching. This allows for optimal roasting conditions.
Bake them on the middle oven shelf for 25 minutes initially.
After 25 minutes, remove the tray and mix in the chopped garlic and herbs. Ensure the potatoes are evenly re-distributed after mixing.
Mixing the potatoes thoroughly with the herbs and garlic will also allow you to re-coat the potatoes in some of the residual oil.
Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes more until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown to your liking.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Use the right potatoes

The key is to select starchy, all-purpose potatoes over waxy types like new potatoes or red potatoes. Baking potatoes like Maris Piper, Russets and Yukon Gold that are high in starch and low in moisture are ideal. Their dry, fluffy flesh gets that quintessential crispy exterior and soft interior when roasted.

Keep the cubes roughly uniform in size

Cut the potato cubes to approximately uniform size. They do not need to be perfect squares, but having them around the same dimensions ensures even cooking.

Potato pieces of varying sizes will roast at different rates, with smaller cubes overcooking before larger ones finish. Roughly uniform sizing results in a tray of potatoes that all reach the ideal crunchy exterior and fluffy centre together.

Don't rough up the potato cubes

Avoid roughing up the potato cubes. Unlike regular roast potatoes, these petite cubes do not need shaking in the pan to roughen the sides for crisping. Their small size already allows for ample crisping on the surface when roasted. Shaking would damage the cube shape and neat presentation.

Add the potatoes in a single layer

Arrange the oiled potato cubes on the baking tray in a single layer with ample space between each piece. For best results, ensure the cubes are not touching. Taking extra care to separate the potatoes allows for air circulation and direct heat exposure - both of which produce superior roasting and crisping.

If your tray is too small to hold the potatoes in a single layer, divide them between two trays. The time invested in properly spacing the potatoes really pays off in perfectly crispy Parmentier potatoes.

Add the garlic and herbs towards the end

Fresh garlic and herbs can burn very quickly with prolonged exposure to high heat. Don't be tempted to add them at the start of the cooking process because they will burn and make the potatoes bitter. Only add them for the last 10-15 minutes of roasting.

Nutritional data disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.

Nutrition