ITALIAN COUNTRY ROASTED POTATOES

SERVES 5-6 AS A SIDE

These are so easy to make and always go down well whenever I serve them. As a side dish, they go with almost anything; we often have them with grilled meat and salad. I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up on your list of ‘best-ever spud dishes’.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 Tbsp chopped parsley leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp fennel seeds

¼ cup olive oil

1kg Perla potatoes or small gourmet potatoes, cut lengthwise

3-5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 Tbsp butter

⅓ cup grated parmesan

¼ tsp salt

1 Preheat oven to 200°C fanbake.

2 In a large bowl place the parsley (reserve a few chopped leaves for a garnish), crushed garlic, fennel seeds, half the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine then add the cut potatoes and toss thoroughly to coat.

3 Lay potatoes in a single layer (either way up) on a large lined oven tray and toss in the unpeeled garlic. Dot with butter, drizzle with remaining oil and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until soft when pricked with a sharp knife and golden round the edges (around 25-35 minutes).

4 Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, garnish with reserved parsley and serve hot. (The roasted whole garlic adds an extra garlicky bit of sweetness and is great squeezed out and eaten on bread.)