Fine Cooking 91

• 1-3/4 lb. baby red, white, or purple potatoes, or a combination, scrubbed and halved
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar or coarsely ground in a spice grinder
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Arrange them cut side down in a well-spaced single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan, making sure to scrape out and include any herbs and oil stuck to the bowl. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the potatoes with a spatula and scatter the garlic cloves over them.
3. Continue roasting, stirring every 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender enough to pierce easily with a skewer and the skins are browned all over, crisp, and bit shriveled, about 45 minutes more. Serve immediately.

• If you're making this as a side dish for a roast, you can lower the oven to 350°F or raise it to 400°F to suit your main course. The potatoes will take a little more or less time to cook accordingly. You can roast a medley of reds, whites, and purples or just one variety alone. You can also use any variety of fingerling potatoes - just cut them into 1-inch pieces first.