HERBED ROAST POTATOES WITH GARLIC

Serves 6-8. You will need:

1 teaspoon salt 10-12 large floury potatoes, peeled and halved if large 3–5 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat or goose fat or beef dripping Sea salt 1 head of garlic, broken into cloves, but left unpeeled 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves s Preheat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas 7.

Bring a large saucepan of water seasoned with the teaspoon of salt to the boil. Drop in the potatoes and cook them for 10 minutes. Drain off the water and shake the potatoes around in the dry saucepan with the lid on — this roughens the surface of the potatoes, and will help to make them crispier when they are roasting in the oven.

Put a roasting tin on a high heat and drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil or duck fat, or goose fat, or beef dripping, whichever you’re using. Once the oil or fat or dripping is really hot, add the parboiled potatoes and toss them in it, making sure they are well coated (adding the remaining tablespoons of the oil or fat or dripping, whichever you’re using, if they are not). Sprinkle the potatoes with some sea salt and roast them in the oven for 45–55 minutes.

Add the cloves of garlic after 15–20 minutes, tossing them in the the oil or fat or dripping, whichever you’re using. At this stage, if you think the potatoes are dark enough, turn the oven down to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6. Baste the potatoes (spooning over the hot olive oil or duck fat, or goose fat or beef dripping, whichever you’re using) occasionally, and turn them over halfway through cooking.

Finally, sprinkle the chopped fresh thyme or the chopped fresh rosemary over the potatoes 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Serve the potatoes immediately or keep them warm in a low-heat oven (don’t cover them, or they will go soggy). Push the soft, sweet garlic cloves out of their skins and eat them with the crispy potatoes.