Name: Foil-Roasted Potatoes
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds small red potatoes , unpeeled, halved; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 garlic cloves , sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

For roasted potatoes with ultracreamy interiors in an amount to serve a crowd, an aluminum foil pouch was the answer. Crimping together the edges of two sheets of foil created the cooking pouch for our hybrid steaming-and-roasting method. It also made cleanup a breeze. Chopped fresh thyme and rosemary and butter added rich, savory flavor, but the butter alone couldn’t get the potatoes browned enough. For the best browning, we found that placing the baking sheet on the bottom oven rack, close to the heat source, was the solution.

Before You Begin

Use potatoes that are no larger than 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes, rosemary, salt, thyme, and pepper in large bowl until potatoes are well coated.

Line baking sheet with 16 by 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Spread potato mixture evenly over foil, leaving 1 1/2-inch border. Flip potatoes cut sides down. Scatter butter and garlic over potatoes. Place second 16 by 12-inch sheet of foil over potatoes. Beginning at 1 corner, fold foil inward in 1/2-inch increments 2 to 3 times to seal edge. Continue folding around perimeter of foil to create sealed packet.

Transfer sheet to oven and bake until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Let potatoes cool for 5 minutes. Using tongs, tear away top sheet of foil, being careful of escaping steam. Serve.