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French Parmentier Potatoes (Pommes de Terre Parmentier Françaises)

Don't be surprised if these crisp, golden Parmentier potatoes with pillowy soft interiors steal the dinner show! They can be prepped in advance for easy entertaining!
No deep frying!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Chris Scheuer - The Cafe Sucre Farine

Ingredients

  • 2½ lbs yellow or golden potatoes peeled and cut into cubes about ¾-1-inch - see Café Tips in the notes
  • 3 Tbsp neutral- flavored oil see Café Tips in the notes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 medium cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425˚F (218°C)
  • Pour the oil onto a sheet pan and place the pan in the preheated oven.
  • Add two teaspoons of kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
  • Add the potatoes and continue to cook over high heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then spread the potatoes out on a clean kitchen towel to dry for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the hot sheet pan from the oven and add the potatoes (the potatoes will sizzle a bit in the hot oil), salt and pepper. Toss them with a metal spatula to coat with the oil and seasoning.
  • Roast for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown, turning and redistributing them every 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and add the rosemary and garlic. Toss the potatoes with a metal spatula one more time to evenly distribute the flavorings.
  • Taste and season with more kosher salt (or flaky sea salt) and pepper, if needed.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and pray that you made enough.

Notes

History of Parmentier Potatoes

These delicious roasted potatoes have an interesting history. In eighteenth-century France, potatoes were thought to be only for animal consumption as it was believed they could lead to a number of different illnesses.
Along came a French pharmacist by the name of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. Parmentier ate potatoes while he was a prisoner of war in Prussia which made him realize that, besides being edible, they were also quite nutritional. When he returned to France, Parmentier was responsible for persuading the French people that potatoes were safe as well as super delicious!

Café Tips for making these Parmentier Potatoes

  • This recipe calls for cubed potatoes. Since potatoes don't come with flat sides you will need to cut each one into a rectangle or square before cutting into cubes. I achieve this by cutting a thin slice off one edge of the potato. I then lay the potato on my work surface with the cut side down and proceed to cut thin slices off of the other three sides. Lastly, I cut off the rounded ends. If there's a bit of skin left on the potato, it's fine - no one will notice when the beautiful golden potatoes emerge from the oven.
  • I like to use golden potatoes (yellow) such as Yukon Gold (other varieties are Carola, Delta Gold, Inca Gold, Yellow Finn, German Butterball, Hermes...) for these Parmentier Potatoes. They have thin skins and a creamy, buttery flavor. That being said, I have also used Russet (also called Idaho) potatoes with good results.
  • This recipe calls for a neutral-flavored, high-heat oil. What does that mean? A neutral oil has almost no flavor of its own. That's good in this Parmentier Potatoes recipe as it allows the flavor of the potato to shine. A high-heat oil is an oil that has a high smoke point, meaning that they are better suited to cooking and baking at high temperatures. Neutral-flavored, high-heat oils include grape seed, safflower, sunflower, avocado, corn, canola and vegetable oils.
  • Don't be tempted to add the rosemary and garlic until the end, right after you pull the potatoes from the oven. The high heat at this point allows the garlic to mellow a bit and brings out the flavor of the rosemary. I discovered that these ingredients will burn if you add them before this point.
  • Also, don't be tempted to use less oil. 3 tablespoon may sound like a lot but when you divide it up, it's not that much per person (unless you eat the whole pan) and you need the oil to achieve the beautiful, crisp exteriors.
  • To prep this recipe ahead of time for easy entertaining, skip preheating the oven with the oiled pan until about 45 minutes before serving. Cut and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes as directed in the recipe then drain and dry. You can keep the par-cooked potatoes at room temperature for several hours before the final roast on the hot, oiled pan.