Roasted Potatoes Recipe
This is my method for getting potatoes with a shatteringly crispy crust and a fluffy interior every time. The two non-negotiable steps are parboiling the potatoes in acidic water and getting your fat screaming hot before the potatoes go in the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons duck fat or beef tallow
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- A handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Parboil the Potatoes
Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water by about an inch. Add the white wine vinegar to the water.
Bring the pot to a boil and cook for ~7-8 minutes. The potatoes should be slightly tender on the outside but still firm in the center. A knife should meet some resistance.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander. Let them sit and steam dry for a few minutes, then give the colander a good shake to rough up their surfaces. Those scuffed, chalky edges are what will become the super-crispy crust.
Heat the Fat and Roast
While the potatoes are boiling, preheat your oven to 425F.
Pour the duck fat and olive oil onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Add the smashed garlic cloves and the fresh herb sprigs. Place the baking sheet in the preheating oven for ~5-7 minutes, until the fat is shimmering hot.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Add the parboiled, roughed-up potatoes directly to the hot fat. Be careful, as it may spatter.
Toss the potatoes in the fat, then sprinkle with the smoked paprika, a generous amount of salt, and black pepper. Toss again to coat everything evenly.
Roast for 40-50 minutes, flipping the potatoes every 15 minutes, until they are deeply golden brown with a craggy, super-crispy crust on all sides.
Finish and Serve
Discard the herb sprigs. The garlic cloves will be soft and sweet; you can squeeze them out of their skins and eat them or mash them into the potatoes.
Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving bowl. Taste and add more salt if needed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons duck fat or beef tallow
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic unpeeled and smashed
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- A handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly chopped parsley for serving
Method
- Cover peeled potato chunks with cold salted water and vinegar.
- Boil 7-8 minutes until edges are tender but centers firm.
- Drain, steam dry, then shake colander to rough up surfaces.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Heat duck fat, oil, garlic, and herbs on baking sheet in oven 5-7 minutes.
- Add potatoes to hot fat, toss with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Roast 40-50 minutes, flipping every 15 minutes until deeply golden and crispy.
- Remove herbs, squeeze roasted garlic over potatoes if desired.
- Season to taste, garnish with parsley and serve hot.
