Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions

(Adapted from The Italian Kitchen Bible)

These mouth-watering potatoes are a fine accompaniment to just about anything. The key is to use firm potatoes; the smaller they are cut, the quicker they will cook.

Ingredients

 8 - 10 medium sized Irish potatoes

2 tablespoons butter*

2 tablespoons olive oil*

2 red onions cut into chunks

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Peel and quarter the potatoes, rinse them well and pat thoroughly dry on kitchen paper. Place the butter and oil in a roasting tin and place in the oven to heat.

2. When the butter has melted and is foaming, add the potatoes, red onions, garlic, and rosemary. Toss well then spread out in one layer.

3. Place the tin in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes until the potatoes ate golden and tender when tested with a fork. Shake the tin from time to time to redistribute the potatoes. When cooked, season with salt and pepper.

Cook’s Tip:

To ensure that the potatoes are crisp, make sure they are completely dry before cooking. Resist the urge to turn the potatoes too often. Allow them to brown on one side before turning. Do not salt the potatoes until the end of cooking – salting beforehand encourages them to give up their liquid, making them limp.

*Use a little less butter if you are health conscious because the potatoes can get quite oily. Feel free to substitute the butter with margarine {if you don’t have butter on hand} and whichever cooking oil you have will work just as well, if you don’t have olive oil.