These fancy potatoes are drizzled with olive oil and butter and baked until golden. Sliced almost all the way through, they easily capture sauce and make for fantastic presentation.
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
Note: When choosing the potatoes, try to make sure they are all roughly the same size.
Using a small pairing knife, cut each potato across the width, into about 1/4" -inch slices. Stop just before you reach the bottom, so the potato stays intact at the base.
Place the potatoes onto a tray.
Rub a bit of room temperature butter onto each potato. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss gently to coat. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
Scatter a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary onto the surface of the potatoes and place a few bay leaves on top.
Place into the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until they start to slightly brown underneath.
Once the bottoms of the potatoes have browned slightly, flip them over and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or so, or until a knife inserted into the potatoes easily glides through.
To serve the potatoes, drizzle with any melted fat from the baking tray or with more extra-virgin olive oil.
Toss and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Transfer to a dish and serve immediately.