I had these potatoes for Christmas dinner at the home of my friend Lindita Klein. She found a similar recipe in Gourmet magazine that called for butter in place of the olive oil and a sprig of Italian parsley in place of the rosemary. You can use either or both of the herbs, but olive oil makes these potatoes remarkable. This is one of those dishes that everyone loves and wants to know how to make. It is simple and enormously appealing.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized glass baking dish and add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Press a rosemary sprig or parsley leaf on the cut side of each potato half and place cut side down in the oil.

Bake until the potatoes are nicely browned, 40 to 45 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, using a spatula, gently move them every now and then to keep them from sticking. When they are ready, remove them from the pan, turning them flat side up and carefully leaving the pressed herb in place. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

Note:
A glass dish works well in this case because you can check for doneness by carefully holding the dish overhead and looking to see if the potatoes are browned. When you do this, be careful not to spill the hot oil. A metal pan will do, too, but testing for doneness will not be as easy.

Serves 4 to 6