Crispy Potato Goodness!

South African’s love potatoes in every shape and form! This potato recipe by Heleen Meyer, is certainly one to add to your list of side dish favourites. Whether you want to serve it at a braai, make it for a quick mid-week supper or plan it as part of your Sunday lunch – it’s always a hit and looks super impressive too!

Cooked baby potatoes are coarsely crushed, drizzled with a glug of olive oil, topped with cheese and herbs, and roasted in a hot oven until golden brown and crispy. A smaller batch of potatoes can even be roasted in an air-fryer. Heleen says she seldom peels potatoes, as the skins add flavour and fibre to a dish and in this recipe, the roasted skins definitely add to the crispiness. So, you are not only saving time, but are adding all the goodness of the potato skins to the meal as well. This recipe also uses much less oil than many other roasted potato dishes. 

Heleen adds a few springs of fresh rosemary to the water when boiling the potatoes, to add an extra boost of flavour. Another of her practical tips she shares when cooking the potatoes – remember never to poke them with a fork to test if they’re cooked. This can break open the potatoes causing them to absorb a lot of water, which isn’t ideal. Rather use a cake tester or the point of a sharp knife and only make a small incision to test if they are soft on the inside. 

Roasted baby potatoes with cheese and herbs 

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Serves 4 – 6 

500-750 g baby potatoes, in the skin

3 short sprigs of fresh rosemary

salt and pepper

75-90 ml (5-6 tbsp) olive oil

30 ml (2 tbsp) coarsely chopped mixture of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, parsley and origanum (or just use one of them if preferred)

125 ml (50 g) coarsely grated mature white cheddar or pecorino cheese

1. Place the baby potatoes and rosemary sprigs with 300-350 ml water and a pinch of salt in a big enough pot and bring to a boil.

2. Lower the heat and boil the potatoes with the lid on, for 20 minutes or until just soft. Drain well and place the potatoes in a single layer in a flat oven dish.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 ˚C. Crush each potato gently with a fork so that it just breaks open.

4. Mix the oil and the herbs together and pour over the potatoes. Season to taste and sprinkle the cheese over.

5. Turn the oven’s grill on and roast the potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. Serve immediately.

Visit Heleen’s website for more recipes like this.

Image by Adel Ferreira, for LiG Tydskrif