The Best Parsley Potatoes Recipe

What's the best kind of dish you can make, one that tastes great and seems like it took next to no work at all, or one that tastes great and is visually stunning, too? Clearly, the answer must be the product that took a decent amount of time and effort to prepare? If you answered the latter, then you're close, but here's the real answer: The best dish is one that tastes and looks great and that took next to no work. And aside from a bit of chopping and a bit of waiting, these parsley potatoes really take very little effort to prepare.

Chef and recipe developer Kate Shungu of Gift of Hospitality has put together a quick and easy way to serve potatoes that dresses them up handsomely, both in terms of taste and presentation. "This recipe is in the easy category. If you can make pasta, you can make this dish," she says. They'll make a perfect accompaniment to anything from a roast chicken, to steak, to baked salmon, to pan-seared tofu ... and on the list goes. And as they reheat quite well in the oven or microwave, these potatoes are a great dish to prepare well ahead of time, and then warm up in time for dinner. (And yes — they're a great choice for that Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday dinner, by the way.)

To prepare a batch of these succulent, buttery, garlic-y potatoes that yields eight servings, you'll need about 3 pounds of fingerling potatoes, a decent dose of salt, a full stick of unsalted butter, about five peeled and smashed garlic cloves, and plenty of chopped fresh parsley. "If [you're] using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt added at the end to one teaspoon," Shungu says. And you can by all means use a vegan-friendly butter alternative, such as Earth Balance. "[And] if you can't find fingerling potatoes, you can make the recipe with red potatoes," she adds. "Just be sure to test the potatoes with a fork as they are boiling. If a fork easily slides through a potato, they are ready."

Rinse and scrub the potatoes, and then cut the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise. If any are particularly large, consider quartering them lengthwise, too. Then, place the potatoes in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of salt sprinkled in. 

Now, cover the potatoes with cold water, and place the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the potatoes.

While the potatoes are cooking, it's time to make the garlic butter, which is the real secret to success here. Mince the garlic into fin slivers, and mash it up to really open all the flavor potential. Then, melt the butter (or butter alternative) in a small skillet over medium heat.

Now, add the smashed garlic cloves, and take the butter off the heat. Let the garlic cloves sit in the hot butter for at least 10 minutes to impart maximum garlic flavor. (Now is also a good time to chop the parsley, by the way.)

When the potatoes are cooked through, drain the potatoes well, and then pour them back into the pot. Remove the garlic cloves from the butter, and pour the butter over the top of the potatoes. Now, add 1 ½ teaspoons of salt (unless the butter was salted!) and the parsley, and toss the potatoes gently with a silicone spatula to coat. (Or, use a wooden or metal spoon, and be even more gentle.)

Serve the potatoes while they're still warm, or pour them into an oven-safe dish for later baking. Your family will truly love this side dish — we can promise you that!