Techniques for Roasting Potatoes

[ChrisTaylor]

I am definitely in the par-boiling camp ala Blumenthal and really enjoy those roast potatoes.

Though most of the time the crust is more tough and less brittle than "perfection" imo

Is this due to low starch potatoes being used?

Am I not drying thoroughly enough?

Do you turn the potatoes when they're in the oven?

What kind of fat are you using?

What kind of potatoes (waxy/floury)?

What temperature?

How long?

I usually use Russets or Yukon Golds.

Shaking the roasting tray maybe every 10-15 min

Usually using olive oil or duck/chicken fat

roasting usually between 425 and 500F

never tried a convection oven though

what is the effect of heating the fat first?

Don't just shake the tray, but turn the potatoes. You want an even coating of hot grease all over them. And that temperature is too high, I reckon. In fact that's probably your problem. Roast at 170-180C.

[Shalmanese]

Years ago there was a popular restaurant on the north side of Indianapolis that featured turpentine baked potatoes. I understood they used a pine based resin/rosin for the turpentine and fried or boiled the potatoes in a kettle. Does anyone else remember this?

There's a recipe for the I think in the 1970's version of the Joy of Cooking...

[offcentre]

1. Peel and cut.

2. Parboil .

3. Drain.

4. Add decent nob of butter, salt and pepper to pan of pots.

5. Shake, stir or whatever (depending on whether I have over or under parboiled). The result is a fluffed-up tater with the fluff being a mixture of butter and potato.

6. Add to preheated tray of butter/vegetable oil, cut side down.

7. Do not move the little devils till underside has formed a crust.

8. Turn and add to oven for a further 15 mins.

Similar to Hestons but instead of flour I add butter.

I am yet to find a better roast potato (he says modestly).

[JoNorvelleWalker]

For dinner I roasted some fingerling potatoes.  Usually when I roast potatoes I set the oven for 425 deg F.  Tonight I took the suggestions and went with 350 deg F.  Per pazzaglia I pre-pressured cooked the potatoes for 5 minutes, as usual.  I took Nigel Slater's advice (from Tender) to mash the potatoes slightly with a spoon -- except for mine I used a fork.  I poured over them olive oil, rosemary, and Kosher salt.

 

Then baked (or roasted, if you will) for 45 minutes.

 

Quite tasty, no complaints.  And cleanup was easy.  When I roast at 425 the dish is a blackened, burnt on mess.

[vloglady]

On Cook's Country TV show, they had this topic. they said the secret is.....and I always do it, is to get the sheet pan really hot.

 

I put some oil on the pan and put it in the oven. Maybe 400 degrees for a few minutes. cut the potatoes into cubes and season it however you like. I usually put some garlic powder, salt and pepper, dried parsley, cayenne pepper. and when the pan is hot, dump the potatoes on the pan. You should hear a sizzle. Make sure the spuds are in one layer. That will get the sides crispy.  Bake for a bit, then turn them over, so the other sides get crispy.

 

I think on Cook's Country, they said to cube the spuds and boil for just a few minutes. So the insides get cooked a bit. I never do this, just cute, season and put on the hot pan.

 

That's how I do it.

 

Susan

[kayb]

I cut mine in wedges, skin still on, then toss them in olive oil and put them on the pan skin side down; sprinkle with whatever seasoning, and into the oven. I tend to start them at 375 for 20 minutes or so, then crank it up to 425-450 to finish them off and brown them.

 

 

[quiet1]

2 hours ago, vloglady said:

On Cook's Country TV show, they had this topic. they said the secret is.....and I always do it, is to get the sheet pan really hot.

 

I put some oil on the pan and put it in the oven. Maybe 400 degrees for a few minutes. cut the potatoes into cubes and season it however you like. I usually put some garlic powder, salt and pepper, dried parsley, cayenne pepper. and when the pan is hot, dump the potatoes on the pan. You should hear a sizzle. Make sure the spuds are in one layer. That will get the sides crispy.  Bake for a bit, then turn them over, so the other sides get crispy.

 

I think on Cook's Country, they said to cube the spuds and boil for just a few minutes. So the insides get cooked a bit. I never do this, just cute, season and put on the hot pan.

 

That's how I do it.

 

Susan

 

I didn't think it was for the insides, it is to soften the outsides so when you drain them and they dry out a little they go fluffy, which gives a nicer crisp shell on the potatoes once roasted. I also salt the water, which gets some seasoning into them.

 

I prefer to use a heavier pan than a sheet pan, too. Something like a shallow oven safe sauté pan or lasagna pan that has some mass to it, so when you add the potatoes it doesn't all cool off too much. Keeping the heat up is key.

 

The British cook Delia Smith is a roast potato queen, my method is modified from hers.

[donk79]

I have not roasted many potatoes until recently when they began showing up in my CSA box.  About this time I stumbled across this video.  All I will say is that it worked for me!

 

 

[liuzhou]

39 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

The British cook Delia Smith is a roast potato queen, my method is modified from hers.

 

I vote for Delia, too. Here's her method.

 

Hot oil isn't a secret!

[quiet1]

12 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I vote for Delia, too. Here's her method.

 

Hot oil isn't a secret!

 

Has never failed me. Although I don't like huge roast potatoes, so I cut mine into smaller pieces (1-2 bites worth) before cooking. I also haven't always been able to set them on a burner (due to lack of space while cooking other dishes) to keep the pan hot while the potatoes are added - using a very heavy pan usually holds enough heat that the burner isn't necessary.

 

You do also need the right sort of potato - waxy potatoes aren't bad roasted, but they won't have the same crispy exterior.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I'm roasting potatoes at the moment.  Typically I boil whole waxy red potatoes with the skin on.  Let them cool, then quarter or cut in eighths.  Dunk potato pieces in flavored* olive oil and place on single layer in a baking pan.  Then dust with Kosher salt.  Guatemalan sea salt would be an interesting variation.  Since I've had the Cuisinart Steam Oven that is what I use for roasting.  Better results than with the conventional oven.  And did I mention much less mess?

 

*For flavoring I use as a minimum rosemary and powdered garlic.  If I'm not being lazy I pound the rosemary in a mortar and then sprinkle more whole rosemary leaves on top.  Lots of rosemary.