Roast hedgehog potatoes
Put little boiling potatoes (egg-sized is ideal) in a tablespoon and cut them in vertical one-fourth-inch slices, a neat trick that ensures they stay joined at the base. When roasted with some fat -- olive oil, butter or turkey drippings from the roasting pan -- they become deliciously crispy and fan out to a hedgehog shape.
From the story: Christmas brunch that spans the globe
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the potatoes: Place a potato in a tablespoon and cut it into one-fourth-inch slices joined at the base (the spoon will prevent the knife from slicing all the way through). Open the slices just slightly and place a piece of bay leaf and a sprig of thyme inside the potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and place them in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them.
Drizzle the fat over the potatoes and season them with three-fourths teaspoon of salt and one-fourth teaspoon of pepper, or to taste. Place the pan on the stove top on medium-high heat and cook just until the fat begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the pan in the oven and roast the potatoes, basting them occasionally with the fat, until browned and crisp, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point one day ahead; cool the potatoes slightly, then cover and refrigerate them overnight.)
To reheat the potatoes, warm in the roasting pan briefly on the stove top over medium-high heat, about 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until thoroughly warmed.
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