Roast potatoes
The best roast potatoes are like glass; skin so crispy it shatters as you take a bite. This recipe is adapted from Serious Eats.
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg potatoes (peeled and cut into eighths)
- 1 tbsp (12g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp (4g) baking soda
- 75ml extra-virgin olive oil (or duck, chicken, or beef fat)
- Small handful picked rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp potato starch
STEPS
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Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 230ºC.
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Add 1 tbsp kosher salt, baking soda, and potatoes to a large saucepan and stir. Heat water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until a knife meets little resistance when inserted into a potato chunk, about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine your oil or fat with rosemary, garlic, and a few grinds of black pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring and shaking pan constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh strainer set in a large bowl. Set garlic/rosemary mixture aside and reserve separately.
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Pour the infused oil/fat into a large rimmed baking sheet, and place in the oven.
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When potatoes are cooked, drain carefully and let them rest in the pot for about 30 seconds to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Add 1 tbsp of potato starch, and toss to coat, shaking the bowl or collander roughly, until a thick layer of mashed potato–like paste has built up on the potato chunks.
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Transfer potatoes to the hot baking sheet and roast, without moving, for 30 minutes. Using a thin, flexible metal spatula to release any stuck potatoes, shake pan and turn potatoes. Continue roasting until potatoes are deep brown and crisp all over, turning and shaking them a few times during cooking, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
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Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and add garlic/rosemary mixture. Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
