Peel some medium-sized russet potatoes and cut into quarters.
Refine edges by "turning" them (in other words, cut into tournée shape) *see notes
Rinse off the starch, then put potatoes in a pot of cold water to cover. Bring pot of salted water to a boil.
When the potatoes have boiled for about a minute, pull them out gently and place them on a sheet pan and let them air-dry.
Put the oven on to 400º F.
In a roasting pan (Pyrex is nice because it cleans easier) melt some butter, enough to coat all the potatoes. If you're using unsalted butter, put in a pinch or three of salt.
Toss in a few sprigs of fresh thyme, but if you only have dried thyme, that works okay. As the potatoes cook the leaves will come off the stems.
Now add the potatoes, and roast until they're blistery and a little bit browned.
They're delicious as-is, but you can also serve them with aioli or some fresh butter.