What is more comforting at Christmas than a large tray of little Jersey royals, tossed in a luxurious garlicky butter and sage paste, seasoned with some freshly cracked black pepper – finished with an ample snow flurry of sea salt , roasting away happily in a hot hot oven? Doesn’t this just yell Christmas from the rooftops?! Of course these are not limited to the festive season only and work beautifully with a simple chicken roast that I prepare throughout the year for an easy mid week meal. These must be served absolutely hot from the oven and look out for the secret trick in getting these all gorgeously garlic- herb buttery tender on the inside with a crackly peppery crust.

Serves 6

1 kg fresh Jersey Royals, skins left on
125gms of salted butter, firm but not frozen
2 heaped tsp of sea salt flakes
1 ½ heaped tsp of freshly cracked black pepper ( please try and avoid the commercial ashy black pepper that doesn’t provide the depth of flavor the freshly milled pepper will always bring to the dish)
2 heaped tsp of garlic
1 ½ tsp of dried sage or 1 tbs of freshly chopped sage
1 heaped tsp of Spanish paprika

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade
Place a large saucepan of salted water on a high heat to boil.
Wash and scrub the jersey royals, keeping the skins on and removing any dirt
Once the water has reached a rolling boil, toss in the potatoes. Let these parboil for around 8 minutes or until just beginning to get tender.
For the Buttery Garlic and Sage Paste
Place the softened butter , sage, garlic, Spanish paprika, 1 tsp of the sea salt and ½ tsp of cracked black pepper in a mortar and pestle and pound and grind the butter until it resembles a thick paste.
Drain the potatoes directly in a colander ( DO NOT ADD COLD WATER ) and this next little trick is what is going to really pack a punch on flavor, so take your time and you will have heavenly roasties in no time!
With a very sharp knife, slice the potato several times, but not all the way to the bottom, just half way, hassleback style. Now pinch the base of the potato so the slices open up a touch, like little petals opening up.
Whilst the potatoes are still hot, toss in the butter and coat the potatoes generously.
Sprinkle the remaining sea salt flakes and black pepper over the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and turn on the grill setting to your oven. Grill for a further 4-5 minutes, tossing the potatoes once or twice during this time.
Sprinkle over some fresh sage or even dried sage and serve piping hot!