Herb Roasted Potatoes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds tiny potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or other fresh herb
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash potatoes and dry thoroughly.
Spread potatoes out on a baking sheet. I line mine with foil for easy clean up, but it's not necessary.
Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and toss to coat the potatoes and to insure the oil has also covered the baking sheet to prevent sticking. Or, you could lightly spray the sheet with cooking spray before you toss the potatoes with the oil.
Sprinkle chopped herbs, salt and pepper over all and toss lightly to distribute.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and skins beginning to crisp. I like the bottoms to get a nice deep golden brown. (I shake the pan about 1/2 way through the cooking time to "flip" the potatoes to another side.)
Once they're done, if there's any residual oil, herbs and salt on the sheet, I like to give the pan another shake so they get a chance to roll around and pick up more of that flavor. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve.

Recipe Notes

*If you use dried herbs, use about 2 teaspoons instead of 2 Tablespoons.

*I find these potatoes can take a fair amount of salt. I listed a half teaspoon of kosher salt, but I probably use more like a full teaspoon. Remember that you need less of table salt than kosher salt. Don't over season at the beginning. You can always add more at the table.

*Cooking times will vary with the size of your potatoes. Just use a fork to check for tenderness and your eyes to check for that nice roasted color. I probably could have left mine in a few more minutes to get some deeper edges, but you want to be careful not to roast them too long or they will dry out.

*This is the most basic version of this recipe. I often add other ingredients like garlic, lemon, onions, leeks... etc., to coordinate best with whatever main dish I am serving. When using garlic, I like to keep the cloves whole so that they don't burn and to impart a slightly milder garlic flavor. Then I make sure they get tossed again in the serving dish so that the garlic cloves get a chance to mingle with all of the potatoes. When I use onions, I try to cut them about the same size as the potatoes.