Herb fondant potatoes with roast portobellos, herb and almond pesto and marinated courgette salad

Tamara West

These fondant potatoes are so incredibly good, I’m sure they will become your new favourite way to cook potatoes — they are cooked in stock and herbs, which absorbs into them, making them packed with flavour. This is one very delicious vegetarian dish, that uses bunches of fresh herbs.

Herb fondant potatoes

400 g	Agria potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1cm-thick rounds (Main)
1 cup	Stock, vegetable or chicken
1 sprig	Fresh thyme, or rosemary
1 Tbsp	Butter

Herb roast portobellos

6 large	Portobello mushrooms, stalks removed (Main)
1 ½ Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tsp	Liquid honey
1 ½ Tbsp	Olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp	Fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed

Herb almond pesto and courgette salad

4 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
½ cup	Fresh mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, mint, coriander, finely chopped
1 clove	Garlic, small, crushed
1 tsp	Capers, finely chopped
2 Tbsp	Almond flakes, finely chopped
1	Lemon, freshly zested
1 medium	Courgette, coarsely grated
½ clove	Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
1	Lemon, freshly juiced
1 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
2 servings	Rocket leaves, optional

Directions

1. Heat oven to 220C.
2. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in a baking or casserole dish so that they fit snugly.
3. Pour over vegetable or chicken stock (if using fresh stock, season with salt). Add thyme or rosemary and dot with butter.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are golden and almost all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Place portobello mushrooms, gill-side-up, in another baking or oven dish. Mix balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, thyme and garlic together and spoon over mushrooms.
6. Place in oven to roast for 15 minutes (half-way through the cooking time for the potatoes).
7. Combine all pesto ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Combine courgette, garlic, parsley, lemon and extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.
9. Serve fondant potatoes, topped with mushrooms and pesto. Serve courgette salad on the side and a small handful of rocket leaves (if using).