Thyme & Chestnut Roast Potatoes Recipe
A deliciously crispy and fragrant roast potato recipe infused with fresh thyme and enriched with tender, roasted chestnuts. Perfectly cooked by parboiling and roasting, these potatoes are a comforting and flavorful side dish ideal for any roast dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes and Oil
- 1.5–2kg floury potatoes (such as King Edward or Maris Piper), cut into equal chunks
- 150ml vegetable oil
Herbs and Nuts
- Bunch of thyme, roughly chopped
- 180g pouch cooked chestnuts, roughly crumbled
Instructions
- Parboil the potatoes: Place the potato chunks in a large pan, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until just tender, then drain thoroughly to remove excess water.
- Prepare the roasting tin: Pour the vegetable oil into a large roasting tin and place it into the oven (alongside the turkey if cooking together) for 10 minutes to heat the oil until sizzling hot.
- Coat the potatoes: Carefully remove the hot roasting tin from the oven and tip in the drained potatoes and chopped thyme. Turn the potatoes gently to evenly coat them in the hot oil and thyme, ensuring they begin to sizzle and crisp.
- Roast the potatoes: Once the turkey is cooked (or the oil and potatoes are ready), increase the oven temperature to 200C (180C fan/gas mark 6) and roast the potatoes for 40 minutes.
- Turn and continue roasting: Turn the potatoes over to ensure even browning, then roast for an additional 10-15 minutes until they are golden and crisp all over.
- Add the chestnuts: Sprinkle the roughly crumbled cooked chestnuts over the roasted potatoes, then roast for a final 10 minutes to heat through and allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
Notes
- Use floury potatoes like King Edward or Maris Piper for the best fluffy texture inside and crispy exterior.
- Parboiling the potatoes helps to achieve a fluffy interior and speeds up the roasting time.
- Make sure to heat the oil in the roasting tin before adding the potatoes to get maximum crispness.
- The chestnuts add a lovely nutty sweetness and a tender texture to the crispy potatoes.
- If not roasting with turkey, preheat the oven and oil carefully to avoid oil splashing when adding potatoes.
Keywords: roast potatoes, thyme, chestnuts, crispy potatoes, British side dish, roast dinner, vegetable oil, roasted chestnuts
