The only way I can describe Parmentier potatoes is they are golden nuggets of joy! Crispy, herby, crunchy yet fluffy on the inside - these guys are easy to whip up and even easier to eat 😉
What Are Parmentier Potatoes
Parmentier potatoes are fancy little cubed potatoes. They are cooked in oil or sometimes duck fat with salt, garlic & herbs.
The name Parmentier refers to any type of dish created with potatoes. Back in the 1700's a chemist by the name of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier was on a mission to promote potatoes having learnt about their nutritional value in a war camp. So technically when we say Parmentier potatoes we are saying "potatoes, potatoes".
Nowadays we think of cubed potatoes that are boiled and cooked in the oven (or fired in a pan). But more on that below!
How To Make Them
They are SUPER simple to make and boy are they tasty. All you need are the following to make my version of Parmentier potatoes
- potatoes
- garlic
- olive oil
- rosemary or thyme
- butter
Now the traditionalist will say that you don't need butter and they should be cooked in the oven but would I be a real "insta chef" if I didn't bastardize a recipe?
Chop the potatoes into even-sized pieces, par-boil them for 3-4 minutes, pat them dry, add them to a pan with some oil and when they are nearly cooked lob in some butter along with crushed garlic and your herb of choice #jobdone
What To Serve Parmentier Potatoes With?
The beauty of this is you can serve these little golden nuggets with almost anything
- steak
- pork
- chicken
- fish
- vegetables
Who doesn't like potatoes? Here are a few recipes that I would recommend personally to enjoy your Parmentier potatoes with
- Red wine marinated bavette steak with roasted tomatoes
- Smoked spatchcock chicken
- Grilled pork steak with celeriac remoulade
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
I find the best potatoes to use for Parmentier potatoes are russet or a brushed potato. You want a potato with a higher starch content than a waxy potato like dutch cream or kipfler
You can be all technical and start trying to make perfect cubes but then again you might also work in a top fine dining restaurant! My advice is to try to cut the cubes as evenly as possible so that they all cook at the same time. Go with 1cm cubes and you should be right
Technically you can but I find that when potatoes are frozen and defrosted they change their texture due to the water content in them. My advice would be to parboil the potatoes and once cooled (preferably in ice-cold water for speed) is to freeze them at this stage. THEN - you can cook them from frozen for about 40 minutes in the oven.
I usually do but if you choose not to then make sure you give them a good scrub
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!
Ingredients
- 600 g brushed potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 knob butter
Essential Tools
- Chef Knives
- Chopping board
- frying pan or baking tray
- colander
Instructions
Fried Parmentier Potatoes
- Wash or peel potatoes and cut into 1cm cubes
- Parboil the potatoes in salted water for 3-4 minutes, meanwhile chop the rosemary finely and crush the garlic
- Remove the potatoes and pat them dry
- Fry in the olive oil on medium-high heat for approx 10 minutes until golden brown
- Add garlic, knob of butter and rosemary and cook for a further 1-2 minutes
Oven Cooked Parmentier Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 200c and place a baking tray with 4 tbsp oil on it into the oven to heat up
- Wash or peel potatoes and cut into 1cm cubes
- Parboil the potatoes in salted water for 3-4 minutes
- Drain the potatoes and allow to steam dry for 2 minutes - don't shake them as that will break them up
- Gently pour the potatoes onto the preheated tray, sprinkle with salt and cook for 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, chop the rosemary finely, crush the garlic and mix it in with a generous knob of butter
- After 15 mins remove the potatoes, add the butter mix and toss the potatoes to coat them. Cook for a further 15 minutes
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- parboiling the potatoes helps to cook them a little quicker - if you don't do this add an extra 10 minutes to the oven cooking time. In the frying pan, they may well burn before the inside is cooked through
- add any herb you like - parsley, thyme, sage, chives or dried oregano will all work well too
- add a little spice to the potatoes too - cayenne (just a pinch), smoked paprika, chilli powder or cumin are some that spring to mind
- I prefer to pan-fry mine as it's quicker but if cooking for a group and you have may things on the go then oven-roasted works great too!
who doesn't love potato? especially when fried. how delish!