Roasted Red Potatoes w/Dijon, Garlic, and Herbs

This is just your basic roasted red potatoes.  This is a solid side dish to really any meal.

ingredients:
3-4 red potatoes per person
1.  baby red potatoes cut in half.  the diameter should measure around 1 1/2" inches.  If they are bigger than that, use potatoes that are around 3" in diameter and quarter them.
2.  salt
3.  pepper
4.  extra virgin olive oil
5.  dijon mustard
6.  1 clove of garlic per 3 potatoes, peeled and left whole
7.  Parsley, thyme, tarragon, or whatever herbs you have on hand, dried or fresh

note: - there are two ways I make this.  one method involves pre-cooking the potatoes then finishing them off under the broiler, the other just roasts them in the oven the entire time.  they turn out the same, it's just that the pre-cooked method takes about 15 min less time in the oven and is therefore useful in situations where timing is more sensitive (resting meat that was cooked in the oven, waiting to be served with the potatoes)

recipe 1: pre-cooking then broiling
1.  Place the cut potatoes, face down, into a large 12" skillet.
2.  Add just enough water to go half way up the potatoes.
3.  Add 3/4 tsp salt, whole peeled garlic cloves, and 1 TBL of herbs.
4.  Cover with a lid and put over medium high heat.  Shake pan a little to distribute salt and herbs.
5.  After water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until pairing knife inserted into potato meets slight resistance and potatoes are still tight and show no signs of breaking down, around 10-15 minutes.
note: - you don't want the potatoes to fully cook or they will begin to fall apart and can break apart when handled.  they should look clean, tight, and be slightly under cooked with a pairing knife meeting slight resistance when inserted into it.
6.  Carefully remove potatoes from water and place into a large bowl, then remove garlic to a small bowl.
7.  Arrange oven rack to upper middle position and turn on the broiler to high.
note: - this is very important.  the highest rack will burn the potatoes while the middle rack will take too long to roast.
8.  Cover a baking tray with foil, then fill a small bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  One by one, dip the flesh side of the potatoes in the oil, then place them face up onto the foil lined baking tray.
9.  Place baking tray into the oven.  Broil on high for about 20 minutes, moving the tray and rearranging the potatoes as necessary to achieve an even doneness throughout, until the flesh is dark brown and crusty.
10.  Meanwhile, to the saved garlic add 2 tsp of dijon mustard per clove of garlic, 1/8 tsp of black pepper per clove of garlic, 1/2 tsp of chopped herbs per clove of garlic, and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil per clove of garlic.  Mash the garlic and mix everything thoroughly.
11.  After the potatoes have finished cooking, use a small spoon to place a small dollop of the mustard mixture (enough to cover the entire surface of the potato) onto the flesh of the potato.  Use the back of the small spoon to spread the mustard mixture all over the flesh of the potato.  Repeat this process for all the potatoes, then serve them while still warm.


recipe 2: roasted entirely in the oven:
1.  Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.
2.  Toss all the potatoes with olive oil then place them flesh side up onto a foil lined baking tray.
3.  Sprinkle each potato with a generous pinch of salt.  Place whole garlic cloves on the tray as well.  Place tray into oven onto upper middle rack.
4.  After 5 min, check the garlic.  As soon as they start to get some color and soften, remove them to a small bowl.  Roast the potatoes, moving the tray and rearranging the potatoes as necessary to achieve an even doneness throughout, until the flesh is dark brown and crusty.  This should take around 30-45 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, to the saved garlic add 2 tsp of dijon mustard per clove of garlic, 1/8 tsp of black pepper per clove of garlic, 1/2 tsp of chopped herbs per clove of garlic, and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil per clove of garlic.  Mash the garlic and mix everything thoroughly.
6.  After the potatoes have finished cooking, use a small spoon to place a small dollop of the mustard mixture (enough to cover the entire surface of the potato) onto the flesh of the potato.  Use the back of the small spoon to spread the mustard mixture all over the flesh of the potato.  Repeat this process for all the potatoes, then serve them while still warm.