Sticky roast garlic and rosemary new potatoes

Name: Sticky roast garlic and rosemary new potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4

Side Serves 4 1h 5 min

I find that garlic can often be misused with a roast potato, added too early and burnt till bitter, or thrown in near the end and left too raw and sulphurous. Here we roast the bulbs till sweet and sticky, squeeze from their skins like toothpaste (a strangely enjoyable task) and mix the purée in at the end. If feeling more summery then just boil the spuds and use the roasted garlic to make a garlicky dressing or mayo to compliment them.

Ingredients

3 garlic bulbs
olive oil
800g new potatoes
few good sprigs rosemary
50g butter
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 1h

Step 1
Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5.
Step 2
Cut the top 1cm from each bulb of garlic, sit them in a small snug-fitting oven dish, cover with a slug of oil and a pinch of salt, add a dash of water.
Step 3
Give them a good mix and arrange them so that the cut tops are facing upward, cover tightly with foil and bake at for 30-45 minutes or until the flesh is soft and turning golden brown. Allow to cool and squeeze the flesh from the skins.
Step 4
Meanwhile cut the spuds to roasting size and bring to the boil in well-seasoned water with the bay. Boil till just soft.
Step 5
Drain and transfer to a hot roasting tray, oil and season lightly. Roast until golden and rustling.
Step 6
Add a generous sprinkle of roughly chopped rosemary, a 50g lump of butter and large spoonful of roasted garlic. Mix well so that the garlic coats the spuds and slide back in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and serve.