Tattooed Potatoes with Rosemary
How To Make Tattooed Potatoes

Photo from California Olive Ranch.

This recipe has been adapted from the cookbook Olive Oil - From Tree to Table, by Peggy Knickerbocker. This is one of those dishes that everyone loves and wants to know how to make. It is simple and enormously appealing.
 

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper
6 small fresh rosemary sprigs or Italian parsley leaves
3 russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized glass baking dish and add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Note: A glass dish works well in this case because you can check for doneness by carefully holding the dish overhead and looking to see if the potatoes are browned. When you do this, be careful not to spill the hot oil. A metal pan will do, too, but testing for doneness will not be as easy.

Press a rosemary sprig or parsley leaf on the cut side of each potato half and place cut-side down in the olive oil.

Bake until the potatoes are nicely browned, 40 to 45 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, using a spatula, gently move them every now and then to keep them from sticking. When they are ready, remove them from the pan, turning them flat side up and carefully leaving the pressed herb in place.

Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.