Parmentier Potatoes with Herb Salt

Parmentier Potatoes - golden little nuggets of cubed potato, oven baked until they are crispy then sprinkled with a rosemary and lemon salt.

These are my Parmentier Potatoes - little golden nuggets of crunchy roasted potato goodness, sprinkled with a rosemary and lemon salt. The added bonus is that they cook in the oven at 180c (350f), so that makes this crispy potato recipe pretty versatile in my single-oven kitchen.

This recipe came about as a result of my quest for a 180c crispy potato recipe. I was tired of not being able to have crunchy potatoes because I was cooking the rest of the meal in the oven at 180c and my favourite crispy potato recipe needs a higher temperature. Something had to give!

Enter parmentier potatoes... the name might not be familiar to you (or maybe it is) but basically these are french style cubed potatoes that are usually fried in butter. In my recipe I have gone with oil instead.

What you'll need for this potato recipe

• potatoes - I used sebago
• olive oil or duck fat
• bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• rock salt - or fine salt can be substituted, see my top tips
• fresh rosemary
• lemon zest

How to cook this recipe

1. Add the oil to a pan and place it in the oven to heat.
2. Peel and chop the potatoes into approximately 2 ½ cm (1") cubes.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add bicarb soda and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the potatoes and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
5. Tip potatoes back into the pot they came out of (it should have steamed dry), put the lid on and give the pot a good couple of shakes to roughen up the edges of the potato cubes.
6. Remove the tray with the oil from the oven, tip in the potatoes and turn to coat. Roast for an hour, mixing once or twice during the cooking time.
7. Meanwhile, to make the herb salt add salt, lemon zest and finely chopped rosemary to a mortar and pestle.
8. Grind until a fine powder.

My top tips for making these potatoes

• I have made these potatoes with both olive oil and duck fat (even a mixture of both) and both work fine. 
• Baking soda and bi-carb soda or bicarbonate of soda are the same, it just depends what country you live in!
• The bi-carb soda in the water helps the outside of the potato break down so that you can then get the outside of the potatoes a bit "fluffy" or slightly rough - this is what gives us that crisp outside layer.
• No rock salt? Substitute ½ teaspoon of fine salt.
• No mortar and pestle? Chop the fresh rosemary super fine, then add fine salt (½ tsp) and finely grated lemon zest and combine. Or just toss all of the herb salt ingredients from the recipes as-is into a small food processor.

Serving suggestions

• Great on their own or as a side for meat or fish.
• Potatoes + truffles = food heaven! Try my low cost version of getting luxurious truffles into your life with this Truffle Aioli (basically a fancy name for mayo with truffle oil and garlic) to dip your parmentier potatoes in. Seriously good.

Other potato recipes you may like

Mini Gratin Dauphinois Potato Stacks - these little gems are like mini individual serves of au gratin potatoes, made in a muffin tin!

Mashed Potatoes with Spinach and Feta - fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes, loaded with baby spinach, herbs and feta - the complete side dish.

Colcannon - mashed potato combined with fried cabbage and bacon.

Parmentier Potatoes with Herb Salt

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Parmentier Potatoes - golden little nuggets of cubed potato, oven baked until they are crispy then sprinkled with a rosemary and lemon salt.

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Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 234kcal

Author: Lee-Ann Grace

Ingredients

• 1 kg potatoes (2.2 lbs) I used sebago
• 3 tablespoon olive oil or duck fat
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda see my notes

Herb Salt

• 1 teaspoon rock salt
• zest of 1 lemon finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped

Instructions

• Turn the oven on to 180c/350f - no need to preheat. Add the olive oil or duck fat (3 tbsp) to a baking dish and put into the oven to heat.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove, then add bicarb soda (¼ tsp) - it will fizz a little.
• While the water is coming to the boil, peel and chop the potatoes (1 kg/2.2 lbs) into approximately 2½cm (1") cubes.
• Carefully add the cubed potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 5 mins, then drain the potatoes and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
• Tip potatoes back into the pot they came out of (it should have steamed dry), put the lid on and give the pot a good couple of shakes to roughen up the edges of the potato cubes.
• Remove the baking dish with the now heated oil from the oven, carefully tip in the potatoes and turn to coat. Roast for an hour, mixing once or twice during the cooking time.
• Once cooked, drain potatoes on paper towel. Sprinkle with herb salt and serve immediately.

Herb Salt

• Add rock salt (1 tsp), finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon) and finely chopped rosemary (1 tsp) to a mortar and pestle and grind until a fine powder.

Notes

• I have made these potatoes with both olive oil and duck fat (even a mixture of both) and both work fine. 
• Baking soda and bi-carb soda or bicarbonate of soda are the same, it just depends what country you live in!
• The bi-carb soda in the water helps the outside of the potato break down so that you can then get the outside of the potatoes a bit "fluffy" or slightly rough - this is what gives us that crisp outside layer.
• No rock salt? Substitute ½ teaspoon of fine salt.
• No mortar and pestle? Chop the fresh rosemary super fine, then add fine salt (½ tsp) and finely grated lemon zest and combine. Or just toss all of the herb salt ingredients from the recipes as-is into a small food processor.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*