Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Roasted potatoes are great when you perfect how to crisp them up properly and flavor them good.

Good roasted potatoes should be crispy on the outside with creamy insides.

If they are all crisp on the inside, then those are not great roasted potatoes.

Also, flavor can be an issue, they can turn out really crispy but taste isn’t there, so……

Why This Recipe Works

The potatoes are cut into bigger chunks here. I know, I know you may want smaller pieces because of the reduced cooktime…but those fall apart when boiling.

And when roasting, they crisp up all the way till the insides, and you won’t have the creamy interior, just crisp all the way.

Also, going for smaller chunks, they tend to soak more oil in my opinion, since they crisp up and have holes inside where oil soaks up
Parboil the potatoes in salted water with just a little bit of baking soda for a few minutes. Just till fork tender

This makes the outer layer of the potato much softer, and they roughen up properly for a large surface area ahead of roasting.

The salt water limits the amount of flavor that leaches out of the potatoes into the water while boiling, leaving a bolder potato flavor.

Potatoes just don’t have their taste without salt, so pre-salting is mandatory.

Don’t skim on salt!

After they are cooked, we drain off all the water and roughen them, return them to the stove to expel all the moisture before proceeding to the oven roasting.

One secret to perfect roast potatoes is roughing them up, then evaporating off all the moisture in them before they head to the oven. It makes all the difference.

Now, on the roasting side, they turn out best using flavored oils and fats.

Vegetable oil works, but it tastes like nothing, so don’t use a neutral oil. Olive oil is better

Animal fats shine here, like lard, goose fat, duck fat, butter, tallow

If all you are using is a neutral oil, e.g, canola or vegetable oil, then add aromatics like garlic, rosemary, onions, and infuse the oil before using it, then strain off the aromatics as they will burn in the oven before adding potatoes.

Add your seasonings, salt, and oil to a sheet pan before adding the potatoes. We wanna add them while the oil is hot.

Ingredients

Basics

• Yukon Gold potatoes
• Olive oil / Animal fat
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh thyme (or rosemary)
• Fresh parsley
• Flaky sea salt
• Black pepper

Optionals

• Sour cream
• Lemon wedges

As for potatoes, Yukon Golds work great; russets will crisp up, yes, but will be pale. Yukons are more creamy and hold their shape

Sour cream works well as a creamy dip. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end adds brightness and balances richness.

Procedure

Prep the potatoes

• Wash and scrub the Yukon Gold potatoes (no need to peel unless you prefer).
• Cut into large chunks about 2–3 inches (quarters if medium-sized).

Parboil the potatoes

• Place the chunks in a pot of boiling, well-salted water.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the edges just begin to soften but the centers are still firm.
• Drain thoroughly and let them steam off excess moisture in the colander for a minute or two.

Note 1 : I just want to say that, in my experience, actually starting with hot water will lead to better browning.

Note 2: Instead of boiling, you can microwave them for a few minutes before pan roasting.

Makes the best potatoes.Surprisingly soft interiors and crunchy exteriors. “Nuke them for a few before frying.

Just the potatoes no need to add water and 2-4 minutes on the microwave.

If you want extra fluffy interiors, dont boil microwave.

This method also retains the full potato profile as nothing is leeched to the boiling water.

And again your potatoes dont sog up as they would if you boiled, plus its quicker half the time

Rough up the edges

• Gently shake the drained potatoes in the colander so the outsides get rough and fluffy; this is what turns super crispy in the oven.
• More surface area to crisp
• The outsides will only mush a little bit. The interior will remain intact as the potatoes are not even cooked through at this point, so not much risk of crumbling.

Heat the oil

• Pour olive oil into a large roasting pan or baking sheet with raised sides.
• Add the smashed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs to the oil.
• Place the pan in the oven while it preheats to 425°F (220°C). This infuses the oil and gets it sizzling hot.
• Use a generous amount of oil, just enough to submerge at least 1/4 of your potato chunks

Roast the potatoes

• Once the oven and oil are hot, carefully remove the pan (the oil will be shimmering).
• Use tongs to quickly remove and discard the garlic and thyme.
• Immediately add the parboiled potatoes to the hot oil….they should sizzle as they hit the pan. (If not, then your oil is not hot enough and your potatoes will turn out soggy.) Toss or turn them to coat every surface with the oil.
• Roast for 40–60 minutes, flipping the potatoes once or twice (at least once every 15 minutes) until they are golden brown and crisp on all sides.

Notes

1. The reason for adding potatoes to hot oil is so that they start crisping right away instead of absorbing oil in the beginning.
2. Roast until the potatoes are not only crispy, but browned. The more brown you get them without burning them, the better

Finish and serve

• Drain the excess Oil.
• Transfer to a serving dish.
• Sprinkle with fresh parsley, flaky salt, and black pepper.
• Serve hot, with optional sour cream or lemon wedges on the side.

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Also Read

Crispy Fries Using Corn Starch and Vinegar

Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

ALL POTATO RECIPES HERE

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