Roasting baby potatoes in the oven has been my go-to method for cooking this simple side dish, but I recently tried braising them on the stovetop and fell in love. Yes, they do take a little more babysitting than just tossing them into the oven and forgetting about them for 25 minutes or so, but the texture that comes from starting with a braise and ending with a sizzling sauté is next-level. Creamy on the inside with buttery crispy spots on the outside.
And the GARLIC PASTE. A few cloves of garlic are simmered along with the potatoes until tender, then mashed into a paste for tossing with the cooked potatoes before serving. If you’re a garlic lover like me, this is probably the only excuse you need to try this recipe.
Makes 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs small potatoes, about 1 1/2-inches in in diameter
2 cups water or chicken broth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using chicken broth)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Freshly cracked pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Cut the potatoes in half and place them cut-side down in a large non-stick skillet. Pour in the water/broth. Add the butter, salt, herbs, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and transfer the garlic cloves to a cutting board. Increase the heat to medium-high, and continue cooking the potatoes until the liquid evaporates, about 12-15 minutes. When the liquid has almost completely evaporated, discard the herb stems. The potatoes should start to sizzle at this point. Toss them occasionally until you see crispy buttery brown spots form. Turn off the heat.
Using a fork, mash the garlic into a paste. Transfer it to a large bowl and mix in a few scrunches of black pepper. Add the potatoes and parsley to the bowl and toss well with the garlic paste. Serve warm.
Visuals
Place the halved potatoes, cut-side down in a large skillet. It's ok if they go up the sides a bit.
Simmer in water/broth, covered for 15 minutes, then uncovered until the liquid evaporates. Continue cooking, tossing occasionally as it sizzles in the butter that remains.
Once you see these crispy brown spots form, they're ready to be tossed with the garlic paste.
Finish with parsley and serve warm!
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